RIVERSIDE, Mo. — A Riverside police officer who raced to help in Joplin after a deadly tornado never returned home. Wednesday night he was remembered one step at a time.
Lightning struck Jeff Taylor during search and rescue efforts following the EF-5 tornado in 2011. He died later at a hospital in Springfield. More than three years later, his sacrifice is not forgotten.
A group of men and women hoping to become police officers paid tribute to Officer Taylor. Every recruit class at the Blue River Police Academy picks a fallen officer to study and pay tribute to. The current class chose Officer Taylor, a man who will always be considered a friend and hero at the Riverside Police Department.
“He’s definitely a role model and that’s why we chose to honor him today,” said Mike Corgiat.
Corgiat is the class president of the current group of recruits from the Blue River Police Academy. He has a friend who works for the Riverside Police Department and was close with Officer Taylor.
As part of their tribute, the recruits did an honor run from Young Park to the Riverside Police Department. It’s an important part of recruit training, instructors say these men and women need to know the dangers they’ll face when they hit the streets.
“Any day that could be one of us, so we wanted to honor Jeff and his ultimate sacrifice he made,” recruit Whitney Barber said.
Taylor was one of dozens of officers from all over the Kansas City metro who went to help with relief efforts in Joplin. While he was there, lightning struck near the ATV he was riding. He was critically injured and died, leaving behind a wife and two young boys. They are the three people this recruit class is running for and they presented a plaque to them.
“We want the family to realize that they’re not forgotten and we honor sacrifice they made,” Barber said.
It was a gesture the Taylor family appreciated as did his fellow officers. Taylor’s wife didn’t feel up to talking Wednesday night, but did say she and the boys are doing well and she greatly appreciated the recruits. The recruit class graduates in December.
