‘It’s very tragic.’ Bibb deputy killed in crash laid to rest

An off-duty Bibb County sheriff’s deputy who was killed in a single-vehicle crash while responding to a burglary in progress was laid to rest Wednesday afternoon at a private graveside service at Macon Memorial Park.

Kenterrous De’Wayne Taylor, 27, had worked for the sheriff’s office for about a year.

“It’s very tragic and sad that we lost him so soon,” Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said. “He was committed to law enforcement.”

“He was always willing to help — always there to assist his fellow deputies in anything they may have going on.”

Some of Taylor’s squad members served as pallbearers and an honor guard paid tribute. Law enforcement officers from surrounding agencies assisted Bibb sheriff’s deputies with the funeral escort and road closures.

But sheriff’s deputies at the graveside service were limited because of state of emergencies declared at the national, state and local levels due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

And the cemetery was closed to the public for the funeral in the interest of public health and safety.

The private service was a marked departure from traditionally large gatherings of law enforcement officers that assemble for the death of a comrade and of the public also drawn to pay their last respects.

That will have to come at another time when social limitations imposed to help curb the spread of COVID-19 are ended, Davis said.

A memorial service that “will be a truly fitting tribute to Deputy Taylor and his service to our community” then will be planned, according to a sheriff’s news release.

“We certainly mourn his passing and certainly celebrate his life and his contributions to our profession while he was here,” Davis said. “These are unprecedented times we’re living in.

“There are new policies, new procedures, new ways of doing things that are made up every single day in every walk of life and certainly in law enforcement” due to COVID-19, Davis said. “This has really been a trying time for us.”

This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 10:27 AM.