Sheriff's Deputy Fired Over Conflicting Accounts of Columbine

LITTLETON, Colo. – The Arapahoe County sheriff's office fired Lt. Jim Taylor on Wednesday after he gave conflicting accounts of what he saw during the Columbine High School massacre.

Taylor told relatives of slain student Daniel Rohrbough in March 2000 that he saw a boy fall to the ground after apparently being shot. Taylor said he realized it was Rohrbough after seeing newspaper photos of him.

In a Dec. 31 statement, Taylor said he didn't see the shooting and told the Petrones only what he had seen on television and read in newspapers.

Arapahoe County Sheriff Pat Sullivan said radio tapes prove Taylor was not in a position to see gunfire or Rohrbough during the April 20, 1999, shooting attack.

"I am extremely disappointed that false information regarding the tragedy of Columbine High School was provided to the families of the victims of Columbine by a member of my staff," he said. "I sincerely apologize for the unacceptable conduct of one former member of my organization."

The families claim an officer accidentally shot Rohrbough as he fled the school during the April 20, 1999, massacre.

Authorities have maintained since the tragedy that gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were responsible for 13 people killed in the massacre. The two took their own lives in the school library.