Spokane Police Officer Wins National Award For Capture

A Spokane police officer who interrupted his honeymoon preparations to capture a murder suspect has garnered a national award.

Tramell F. “Mell” Taylor is one of 10 law enforcement officers from across the nation to win an honorable mention in the 1996 Police Service Awards.

The awards are sponsored by Parade magazine and the International Association of Police Chiefs. Taylor’s story and photograph will appear in Sunday’s issue of Parade - which is inserted into The Spokesman-Review.

The honor stems from an August 1995 incident in north Spokane.

Taylor, who got married the day before, was waiting at an intersection when he saw a teenager in a nearby alley shoot Dennis Rose to death with a sawed-off shotgun.

Still clad in his tuxedo, Taylor jumped out of his pickup truck, tackled 18-year-old Jerome Grant and held him until more police arrived.

Grant pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in January and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Earlier this year, Washington Gov. Mike Lowry awarded Taylor the Washington State Law Enforcement Medal of Honor for his actions.