Police Officer William Earl Collins, Jr

Officer: Doyline Police Department, Police Officer William Earl Collins, Jr.

Date: 7/9/2021            Location: Doyline, LA            FACTORS (1,4,7,15,19)

Perpetrator(s) Involved: Mahlon Taylor

Criminal Activity History/Involved: None stated./No criminal activity was reported in the 911 call of a disturbance.

Mental Illness: Yes, Taylor’s family said he had a history of mental illness and a family friend believed he “might have been depressed.”

Substance Abuse History/Involved: Mahlon’s family noted he had a chemical imbalance ever since taking his heart medications years ago./Unknown.

Race/Sex/Age: White/Male/59

What prompted the initial contact with the killer? Officer Collins was among three officers responding to a disturbance call at Mahlon Taylor’s home shortly before 6 p.m. on July 9, 2021.

Actions taken by subject toward police: Taylor “immediately opened fire on” on the officers, fatally hitting Officer Collins, but missing the two Webster Parish deputies accompanying him on the call.

Reactions by the police: The officers immediately returned fire at Taylor. After several hours of Taylor not responding to their attempts to have him come out of the house, the police made entry and found Taylor seriously injured from a gunshot wound.

How murdered? Officer Collins was ambushed and fatally shot while responding to a 911 call of a disturbance.

What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Short of not responding to the 911 call, there is no indication Officer Collins could have done anything different.

Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? N/A, Officer Collins was ambushed as soon as he arrived at the house.

Outcome for the cop-killer: Taylor was shot in the head during the incident, taken to the hospital, and died from his injuries a week later.

Miscellaneous: It is unclear if Taylor shot himself or was shot by the officers return fire.