BCAT News

Billerica Sergeant Detective Ian Taylor died Friday after he was struck by an excavator that was backing up on a Boston Road construction site. 

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said Taylor was directing a tractor trailer around the site when he was struck by the excavator. Taylor died at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington. Taylor was 49 and a 21-year law enforcement veteran, beginning in Lowell and serving in Wilmington until he transitioned to Billerica in 2011. He was remembered by the Billerica Police Department as a devoted son, husband and father. 

The Burlington Police Department said on X, formerly Twitter, “We at the Burlington Police Department extend our deepest condolences to our brothers and sisters at the Billerica Police Department during this profoundly difficult time. The loss of an officer is a tragedy that resonates through the hearts of our entire law enforcement community. Please know that you are not alone in your grief; we stand with you in honoring the bravery and service of your fallen hero. Our thoughts and prayers are with the officer’s family, friends, and all who served alongside him. We are here to support you in any way needed.”

The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office said on X, “The thoughts & prayers of Sheriff Koutoujian and the entire Middlesex Sheriff’s Office are with the family, friends and colleagues of @BillericaPD Sgt. Ian Taylor.” 

A memorial for Taylor was held Sunday evening in Billerica; Aaron Curtis of the Lowell Sun was there and captured these images. 

According to a District Attorney’s Office press release, an investigation of the incident by the DA’s office and by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is ongoing.