“He loved his family more than anything,” said Homer Talley in a telephone interview.
His son joined the police when he was 40, Homer Talley told KUSA. “It didn’t surprise me that he was the first to arrive,” he said.
According to KUSA, the father said the policeman was recently trying to become a drone operator because he believed it was safer.
Homer Talley said his son was a prankster with a “great sense of humor,” said the affiliate.
He was the first on the scene
Talley arrived at the scene a few minutes after the first 911 calls, reporting shots fired at about 2:30 pm local time, Boulder’s chief of police, Maris Herold, told reporters during a news conference on Monday night.
“I have to tell you the heroic action of that officer when he responded to the scene,” said the chief, adding that Talley responded after “a call about a possible person with a patrol rifle”.
“Officer Talley responded to the scene, was the first to arrive and was shot dead,” said Herold.
The dead officer “has played a variety of supporting roles in the Boulder Police Department and the Boulder community,” the chief told reporters.
He was remembered as “one of the most outstanding officers” by the county district attorney.
“My heart goes out to Eric Talley’s family, loved ones and colleagues,” said Boulder district attorney Michael Dougherty. “He was, by all accounts, one of the most prominent officers in the Boulder Police Department, and his life was cut short very quickly as he responded to the shooting that was taking place at King Soopers.”
Several police agencies held a vigil in honor of Talley on Monday night.
The investigation will take days
A suspect was taken into custody in the deadly shooting, Dougherty said. At a previous press conference, Boulder police commander Kerry Yamaguchi said that a prisoner was injured during the incident and was taken to a hospital.
The reason has also not been established, said Yamaguchi, adding that it is part of the ongoing investigation.
A senior police source told CNN that the weapon used in the shooting was an AR-15 rifle.
Local, state and federal partners are working on investigating the shooting, along with US prosecutors “to ensure that justice is done,” Dougherty told reporters.
“I promise the victims and the people of the state of Colorado that we will guarantee justice and do everything necessary to ensure justice in this case, for that to happen, a thorough investigation is already underway, both in the crime scene and in interviews to ensure that we receive all the accurate information, “said the prosecutor.
“For all the victims who were killed in King Soopers, these were people living their day, doing their food shopping, and their lives were cut short and tragically by the sniper, who is now in custody,” added Dougherty.
Officials react to deadly shots
Colorado officials responded to the deadly shooting with statements of condolence and gratitude on Monday night.
“Today we have seen the face of evil. I am grieving with my community and all the coloradenses,” said Governor Jared Polis in a statement late on Monday.
“Today, ten lives have been tragically lost, including Boulder policeman Eric Talley,” said the governor. “Officer Talley served more than ten years at the Boulder Police Department and tragically lost his life at age 51 while working to save other people’s lives,”
“And tonight, the families of these victims, our fellow Coloradians, my neighbors, are hearing the devastating news that their loved one who just woke up and went to work this morning, or who ran out to get eggs, will not be coming home” continued Polis.
“Our community looks forward to more information about the victims, hoping they are not our friends, co-workers and neighbors, but knowing that in our close-knit community it will be, and even if we don’t know them personally, we all mourn their meaningless death and our sense of security at our local grocery store, “said the governor.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement that he was irritated by the shooting.
“I am deeply saddened and angry at the news of another tragic shooting in Colorado,” said Weiser. “I am thinking of all of our fellow Coloradans in Boulder who were affected by the unspeakable violence that occurred at King Soopers at Table Mesa.”
“As we learn more about the incident, I am grateful for the courageous police and first aid who are helping the victims, protecting the scene and putting themselves in danger.” Weiser added, noting that his officer is ready to help in any way they can.
So far this year, there have been at least six mass shootings in the United States, with four or more dead.
Joe Sutton and Whitney Wild of CNN contributed to this report.