A former member of Ware County and Waycross law enforcement died Friday from injuries suffered after being shot Tuesday while attempting to serve a warrant at a residence in Carroll County.
Taylor Bristow, an investigator with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, was shot August 20. He was flown after the shooting to Grady Memorial Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and remained in critical condition until his death August 23.
Bristow, 30, was a 2012 graduate of Ware County High School who worked for both the Ware County Sheriff’s Office and Waycross Police Department before moving to his current post in September, 2018.
“Tonight, we mourn the passing of Investigator Bristow, who has left this earth and gained his heavenly wings,” the Carroll sheriff’s office said Friday in a Facebook post. “He served our community with unwavering passion and dedicated his life to protecting the citizens of Carroll County. We are deeply saddened and at a loss for words. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers, and kindly respect their privacy as they grieve this profound loss.”
Both the Ware County Sheriff’s Office and Waycross Police Department had Facebook posts about Bristow after his wounding and subsequent death. He worked for WCSO from December 4, 2014 to June 13, 2016, and WPD from that point until moving to the Carroll County post.
Waycross Police Chief Tommy Cox said his department learned of the incident from some of Bristow’s family who still live in the area.
“It hits you, and it hits you hard, and then you turn to prayer for obviously him and his family for everything they’re going through right now,” said Chief Cox, who said he was commander over uniform patrol at the time Bristow worked for WPD. “It hits me and it hits every other officer down here that’s worked with him.
Bristow
“It’s like a punch in the gut. It was absolutely devastating.”
Ware Sheriff Carl James echoed Cox’s sentiments.
“I pray for God to be with him and his family during this most trying of times,” James said. “I’m truly saddened.”
Both administrators called Bristow a “true professional” in law enforcement.
“There’s one thing that always jumps out at you about Taylor, being a professional,” Cox said. “I mean, he was professional in every aspect of his duties with us. No doubt he was a blessing to the community while he served here.”
There will be a service for Bristow at 2 p.m. Thursday, August 29 at Mount Holly Church in Carroll County.
In Waycross, a visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, August 30 at Sweat Memorial Baptist Church. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday at Sweat Memorial with burial to follow in Kettle Creek Cemetery.
Bristow, a married father of two, was the second metro Atlanta deputy killed in the line of duty in less than a week. On Aug. 17, Paulding County Deputy Brandon Cunningham was shot to death while responding to a report of domestic violence at a home near Hiram, according to investigators.
Bristow was helping the Georgia Bureau of Investigation execute a search warrant for a child exploitation suspect at a house on Don Rich Drive on Tuesday. The GBI said the suspect, 40-year-old Christopher Bly, opened the door and retreated into his home, where the deputies followed.
The GBI said Bly pulled out a gun and shot himself and Bristow with the same bullet. Bly died at the scene from his self-inflicted gunshot wound.
While searching Bly’s home, the GBI said agents found child pornography.
This year, six Georgia law enforcement officers have died while on the job, four in vehicle crashes.
