James Arland Taylor Jr, 41, was shot and killed on October 20, 2021, in Umatilla, Florida, following a dispute with his neighbor, Clifton Anthony Bliss Jr, over a cat. Bliss allegedly confronted Taylor about a wayward cat and threatened to shoot the animal with a .22-caliber rifle. Taylor went outside to look for the cat and asked Bliss to leave his property; Bliss followed and shot Taylor in the chest. Taylor died shortly afterward despite efforts to save him.

Authorities arrested Bliss and charged him with second-degree murder. The arrest affidavit referenced prior confrontations Bliss reportedly had with neighbors about pets and said he frequently carried a firearm. Witnesses, including a woman who was inside the house with Taylor at the time, said Bliss initiated the confrontation and that no physical altercation occurred before the shooting. Bliss told police he fired after Taylor struck him and threatened to kill him.

Does anyone have additional information about the confrontation or the history of disputes between these neighbors?