'RIP Officer Talley' Community Honors Officer Killed In Boulder Shooting
By Rebekah Gonzalez
March 23, 2021
One of the first victims identified in the King Soopers mass shooting in Boulder was police officer Eric Talley.
Officer Talley, 51, was the first to respond to calls of an active shooter. In a news conference, Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold announced Talley's death and praised him for his "heroic" actions on Monday, March 22.
Talley had served the Boulder Police Department for just over 10 years, according to Reuters.
Messages honoring the fallen officer Talley have been pouring in from colleagues and loved ones.
Homer Talley, issued a statement to local media to honor his son.
"He was looking for a job to keep himself off of the front lines and was learning to be a drone operator. He didn't want to put his family through something like this," said Homer Talley. "He had seven children. The youngest is seven-years-old. He loved his kids and his family more than anything."
Talley's younger sister, Kirstin, honored him in a tweet writing, "Officer Eric Talley is my big brother. He died today in the Boulder shooting. My heart is broken. I cannot explain how beautiful he was and what a devastating loss this is to so many. Fly high my sweet brother. You always wanted to be a pilot (damn color blindness). Soar."
Officer Eric Talley is my big brother. He died today in the Boulder shooting. My heart is broken. I cannot explain how beautiful he was and what a devastating loss this is to so many. Fly high my sweet brother. You always wanted to be a pilot (damn color blindness). Soar. pic.twitter.com/tgt2DxPsqz
— Kirstin (@Roozersmom) March 23, 2021
The Boulder Police Department tweeted a photo of Talley in his uniform saying, "Your service will never be forgotten."
According to Reuters, this is the sixth on-duty death in the Boulder Police Department's history as well as the first officer killed in the line of duty in almost three decades, the last being in 1994.
Community members have set up a donation fund for Officer Talley and the other nine victims of the mass shooting.