Disgraced correctional officer Edward Taylor accused of stealing taxi
A former correctional officer at Her Majesty's Penitentiary who was sentenced to jail time in 2012 for drug trafficking is facing more legal troubles.
Edward Taylor, 35, is accused of leading police on a chase in a stolen taxi early Thursday in St. John's.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said they got a complaint shortly after 1 a.m. that the cab had been stolen by a passenger who got behind the wheel when the driver got out in the Prince of Wales Street area.
It's not clear why the taxi driver got out of the vehicle.
It's alleged Taylor drove around the area for a short while, before ditching the car when police showed up.
He ran away, but officers were able to catch him with the assistance of a police dog.
Taylor is facing charges of failure to stop for police, theft over $5,000, uttering threats, impaired driving and breaches of court orders.
After years as a correctional officer, Taylor became the inmate when he was sentenced to 16 months in jail for trafficking drugs in 2012.
At the time,Taylor admitted in an agreed statement of facts that he tried to smuggle drugs — including oxycodone — into Her Majesty's Penitentiary in 2010.
He was in custody Thursday morning, pending a bail hearing at provincial court in St. John's.
Taylor is also facing a charge of assault causing bodily harm stemming from an incident last February.