“He loved his family more than anything,” Homer Talley said in a telephone interview.
His son joined the police when he was 40 years old, Homer Talley told KUSA. “I wasn’t surprised he got there first,” he said.
According to KUSA, the father said the officer recently wanted to become a drone operator because he thought it was safer.
Homer Talley said his son was a prankster with a “great sense of humor,” the branch reported.
He was the first to arrive
Talley arrived just minutes after the first 911 calls came in and reported shots fired around 2:30 p.m. local time, Boulder police chief Maris Herold told reporters at a news conference Monday night.
“I have to tell you the heroic action of this officer when he responded to the scene,” said the chief, adding that Talley responded after “a phone call about a possible person with a patrol gun.”
“Officer Talley responded to the scene, arrived first and was fatally shot,” Herold said.
The fallen officer “served in a variety of roles in support of the Boulder Police Department and the Boulder community,” the chief told reporters.
He was remembered by the prosecutor as “one of the excellent prosecutors”.
“My heart goes out to Eric Talley’s family, his loved ones and his colleagues,” said Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty. “He was, in all probability, one of the outstanding officers of the Boulder Police Department, and his life was cut way too short for reacting to the shooting that took place at King Soopers.”
Multiple law enforcement agencies held an ongoing vigil in Talley’s honor Monday night.
Research takes days
A suspect was taken into custody in the deadly shooting, Dougherty said. At a previous press conference, Boulder Chief of Police Kerry Yamaguchi said a person in custody was injured in the incident and was taken to a hospital.
A motive has also not yet been established, Yamaguchi said, adding that it is part of the ongoing investigation.
A senior law enforcement source told CNN that the weapon used in the shooting was an AR-15 rifle.
Local, state and federal partners are all working to investigate the shooting, along with US attorney’s attorneys “to make sure justice is done,” Dougherty told reporters.
“I promise the victims and the people of the state of Colorado that we will ensure justice and do everything we need to do to get justice in this case, to make that happen, there is already a close investigation underway, both to the crime scene and in interviews to make sure we get all the correct information, ”the prosecutor said.
“For all the victims killed at King Soopers, these were people who went through their day, ran their errands, and their lives were abruptly and tragically cut short by the shooter, who is now in custody,” added Dougherty.
Officials respond to deadly shootings
Colorado officials responded to the deadly shooting Monday night with condolences and gratitude.
“Today we have seen the face of evil. I mourn my community and all Coloradans,” Governor Jared Polis said in a statement Monday evening.
“Ten lives have been tragically lost today, including Boulder police officer Eric Talley,” said the governor. “Officer Talley served in the Boulder Police Department for over ten years and tragically lost his life at the age of 51 while working to save the lives of others,”
And tonight the families of these victims, our fellow Coloradans, my neighbors, hear the devastating news that their loved one who just woke up and went to work this morning, or who ran out to fetch eggs, will not be . come home, ‘Polis continued.
“Our community eagerly awaits more information about the victims, hoping it will not be our friends, colleagues and neighbors, but knowing it will be in our close-knit community, and even if we don’t know them personally, we all mourn for their senseless murder and our sense of security in our local grocery store, ”the governor said.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement that he was upset about the shooting.
“I am deeply saddened and upset about the news of another tragic shooting in Colorado,” Weiser said. “I think of all our fellow Coloradans in Boulder who were affected by the unspeakable violence that took place at King Soopers on Table Mesa.”
“As we learn more about the incident, I am grateful for the brave law enforcement and first responders who are assisting the victims, securing the scene and putting themselves in danger.” Weiser added, noting that his officer is ready to assist in any way he can.
This year, there have been at least six mass shootings in the US so far, killing four or more.
CNN’s Joe Sutton and Whitney Wild contributed to this report.