A plane pilot leaving Denver for Nashville on Tuesday paid tribute to the dead officer Eric Talley and “nine other angels” who were killed by a sniper this week.
Chad Andrews dedicated the flight to the 10 people who died during Monday’s deadly riot at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. He commented on the tragedy during an announcement to passengers and flight crew shortly before takeoff.
“Yesterday we had a tragedy close to home, right here in Boulder, CO,” he said, according to his Twitter post. “Ten people lost their lives. One of them was Boulder Policeman Eric Talley. I learned today that Officer Talley wanted to be a pilot, but he was unable to make that dream come true.
“So I am dedicating tonight’s flight and flight to Officer Talley to help this” dream “fly,” he continued. “Tonight we will not only be helped by the stern winds, but by Officer Talley and nine other angels who will guide us east to Nashville. God, accelerate and thank you.”
After the flight, Andrews tweeted that it was a “beautiful flight” and “humiliating” to have thought of Talley and the other victims along the way. Andrews did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.
Talley was the first officer to respond to the chaotic scene in the supermarket. The father of seven children left a lucrative job in information technology to become a police officer in 2010, at the age of 40. After his death, his colleagues remembered him as a hero.
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On Wednesday, his fellow police officers and residents paid tribute to him as the Boulder Police Department led a procession to transfer his body from the coroner’s office to a funeral home in Aurora.
The suspected sniper is due to appear in court on Thursday. He is charged with 10 counts of murder.