Laramie Police Department Honors Fallen Officer Killed During Boulder Shooting
While an entire country mourns the senseless deaths of 10 people during a mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado, many tributes and vigils are pouring out as the nation tries to make sense of yet another shooting.
This is especially true for those in the line of duty.
Eric Tally was the police officer killed in the line of duty during the shooting that happened Monday at a King Soopers grocery store. He was one of the first officers to respond to the scene.
According to Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold, Tally had joined the police force in 2010. Herold said that Tally, a husband and father of seven children, once had a different career.
"[He] didn't have to go into policing, but he felt a higher calling," Herold told CNN. "He cared about this community...and he was willing to die to protect others."
Tally, along with 9 other people, including the store's manager, was shot and killed by a suspect named Ahmad Al Alimi Alissa. Alissa is a 21-year-old resident of Arvada, a suburb near Denver. He was arrested and is now being charged with ten counts of murder.
In the shooting's aftermath, The Laramie Police Department took to social media to honor their fellow officer.
"The men and women of the Laramie Police Department carry heaviness in our hearts for the death of Officer Eric Talley of the Boulder Police Department," the post stated. "Our thoughts are especially with his seven children, his wife and his family. Our thoughts are also with his extended Public Safety family, who will carry on."
"Please know that you are not alone," the post concluded.
The men and women of the Laramie Police Department carry heaviness in our hearts for the death of Officer Eric Talley of...
Posted by Laramie Police Department on Tuesday, March 23, 2021
The names of the 10 victims are as follows: Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Teri Leiker, 51; Boulder police Officer Eric Talley, 51; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; Jody Waters, 65.