HE DIED A HERO
OFFICER WITH SEVEN KIDS WAS FIRST AT SCENE WHERE GUNMAN SHOT TEN DEAD
A POLICE officer with seven children, killed as he confronted a mass shooter at a supermarket, has been hailed a hero.
Eric Talley, 51, was first on the scene at King Soopers in Boulder, Colorado, where nine other people also died.
The shooter – named as Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21 – is believed to have used a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle.
After a stand-off, the bloodied suspect – shirtless, bearded, wearing boxer shorts and limping – was led away in handcuffs and taken to hospital for treatment to a gunshot wound to his leg. Police said they believe he acted alone. Victims, aged from 20 to 65, included Teri Leiker, 51, who worked at the supermarket for 30 years and whose boyfriend was at work there too.
Shopper Sarah Moonshadow, 42 – in the store with her son – said: ‘We were at the checkout and shots just started going off. I said, “Nicholas get down”, and he ducked. There were just repetitive shots. I just said, “Nicholas, run”.’
Worker Logan Smith said he and a colleague hid behind bins at the store’s Starbucks kiosk, adding: ‘I was definitely
in a life-threatening situation.’ Staff were praised for helping customers escape through a rear exit.
Police chief Maris Herold said Mr Talley – who joined the force ten years ago – was ‘nothing short of heroic’.
‘My heart goes out to the victims. I am so sorry about the loss of Officer Talley,’ she said.
The brave policeman’s father Homer said: ‘It didn’t surprise me he was first there.’ But
he revealed: ‘Eric was looking for a job to keep himself off the front lines and was learning to be a drone operator. He didn’t want to put his family through something like this.
‘He had seven children. The youngest is seven years old. He loved his kids and his family more than anything.’
Court documents revealed Alissa bought an AR-15 assault rifle less then a week ago. His family said they believed he was suffering some type of mental illness, including delusions.