Boulder police honor Eric Talley
A low chime rang out through the crowd Tuesday afternoon. The bell sounded two more times before pausing. Soon after, three final rings followed. Each sound seemed to grow farther away, more faint than the last.
The soft melancholic sounds signified the respect and honor owed to a Boulder officer who had made the ultimate sacrifice.
The Boulder Police Department held a line of duty death commemoration outside its building Tuesday afternoon in remembrance of Officer Eric Talley, who was one of 10 people killed during the King Soopers mass shooting one year ago.
About 100 people attended.
As Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold spoke about Talley, tears rolled down her face.
Because of Talley’s bravery and selfless work, many lives were saved, she said.
“Policing now more than ever needs people like Eric,” Herold said. “Eric was a true ambassador for the city of Boulder. He was service-driven. Eric was a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a man devoted to his family and his faith.”
During the event, Herold presented Talley’s widow, Leah Talley, with a pin, which Boulder officers also wore on Tuesday. The pin is emblazoned with the date of the shooting, Talley’s dispatch number, 295, and 10 lines. Nine of the lines are etched in silver. The last and final line, which represents Talley, is blue. The lines all merge to form a v, symbolizing the valor demonstrated by the Boulder Police Department and the community, Herold said.
In addition to the pin, an award was created specifically to honor Talley. It will be given to Boulder officers who exemplify Talley’s traits, Herold said.
Talley had a knack for reading people, even before he got to know them, said Officer Mitch Trujillo on Tuesday as he read a letter written by Leah Talley.
Talley also had the ability to find common ground and connect with anyone, Trujillo read.
“But what made Eric such a good human being and police officer was his ability to draw on his lifetime of personal faults and struggles and be guided by them,” Trujillo said. “Using his police discretion to apply the law most appropriately and compassionately in this way, he encouraged hope in those he was inspired to help so that they too believed that they could overcome their personal difficulties and change their lives for the better.”
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty and U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse also spoke during the commemoration.
On the afternoon of March 22, 2021, Talley quickly responded to King Soopers in South Boulder and raced into the store alongside other officers, Dougherty said. They did not hesitate.
“Eric Talley gave his all for the lives of others — that’s how he lived his life,” Dougherty said.
Last year, Neguse introduced a bill which would rename the Boulder post office after Talley. That law was recently signed by President Joe Biden, Neguse told the audience on Tuesday.
“Let us honor, let us lift up Eric and unite other precious souls that were lost a year ago today,” Neguse said. “In all that we’ve been through, this community has never failed to be incredibly resilient and kind.”
At the event, a message from the Boulder Police and Fire Communications Center was aired, while it was simultaneously aired on the department’s dispatch channel.
A year ago, police dispatch received numerous calls regarding a shooting, the dispatcher said. Talley was quick to arrive and ran into the store within 20 seconds of getting to the scene.
That day, he sacrificed his life in the line of duty.
“His life and his sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the dispatcher said.