Taylor is shot multiple times before Darnell is brought down by Sharon Raydor. Despite the best efforts of Doctor Morales, Taylor dies of his wounds. The Major Crimes squad are deeply affected by his death despite their differences with him. In "White Lies, Part 3", Fritz Howard tells Sharon Raydor that a park is being built on the location of the condemned buildings once belonging to the Zyklon Brotherhood and it will be dedicated in Taylor's honor. It's also determined that while everyone else shot in the courtroom was part of a conspiracy, Taylor's death was not. Instead, Taylor had drawn his gun in an attempt to stop Darnell and Darnell simply returned fire at him. Through the second half of season 5, there is a competition between a reluctant Sharon, Deputy Chief Winnie Davis and Commander Leo Mason to replace Taylor as Assistant Chief with Fritz Howard working as Acting Assistant Chief in the interim. In "Shockwave, Part 2", Mason is promoted to take Taylor's place with Fritz returning to his old job as Deputy Chief of SOB. As one of his first acts, Mason grants Sharon the promotion to Commander that Taylor had denied her when she took over Major Crimes. Tough and extremely ambitious, Taylor earned the loyalty of his detectives by helping them gain advanced education and promotions. Taylor initially demonstrated resentment and insecurity after he was taken off the Priority Homicide Squad and was passed up for a promotion. Eventually however, he grew to respect Deputy Chief Johnson, even supporting her bid to become Chief of Police. During the first season of The Closer, Taylor wasn't above sabotaging Johnson. As a Captain, Taylor resented Johnson because after over 20 years on the force, he was a Captain, while Johnson outranked him even with no LAPD experience. Throughout Season 1, Taylor began to lose the respect of many detectives who formerly admired him. It was most evident in Lt. Flynn, once as anti-Brenda as Taylor, soon came around after she defended him in a cold case where his mistakes could have cost him his job and pension while his erstwhile friend Taylor was more than willing to "throw him to the wolves". In the Season 1 finale of The Closer, then-Captain Taylor files an anonymous complaint against Deputy Chief Johnson for "conduct unbecoming an officer." The charges were clearly without merit, but because they were filed and the fact that the DA's office and the FBI disliked Johnson's methods and attitude, an investigation was instigated by Internal Affairs into Johnson's conduct. But after the charges become a distraction and waste of resources to the LAPD, then-Assistant Chief Will Pope made a deal with Taylor, promoting him to the rank of Commander, one rank below Deputy Chief, if Taylor withdrew the charges.