Supervisor Remembers Hard-Charging 'Honey Badger' Boulder Police Officer Eric Tally At Memorial Service
LAFAYETTE, Colo. (CBS4) - The public memorial service for fallen Boulder police officer Eric Talley took place at the Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette on Tuesday. It gave one of the speakers, his supervisor and friend Sgt. Adrian Drelles, a chance to share a few of his admirable traits.
"Eric (had) two speeds at work. Talkaholic and honey badger," said Drelles, drawing some laughter from the attendees. "Eric was either talking everyone's ear off or hard charging, and sometimes he was able to do both at the same time."
Drelles said Talley would always have a positive contribution to add during reviews of cases and in meetings. And "his heart was so big he wanted to share it with the world, but he had an unbelievable sense of humor and was always up for a practical joke."
Talley, 51, was one of 10 people who died on March 22 when a man opened fire at the King Soopers on Table Mesa Drive.
"He answered a call for help in which he knew people were dying. He was the first officer to respond to the scene and courageously did what he had been trained to do. He saved lives. While the investigation is ongoing, I can tell you that many people were pulled out of the building alive after it was all over. From the time that Eric entered the store and confronted the suspect, no other civilian was hurt," Drelles said.
He leaves behind a wife and seven children, ranging from 5 to 18 years old.
"The lessons he taught his children is to serve others before yourself, exactly as he lived his life," Drelles said.
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A police procession took place in the northern part of the Denver metro area prior to the start of the service. It included a stretch on Highway 7 in Broomfield and into Boulder County.
The city of Boulder closed all city buildings and facilities on Tuesday to give city employees time to grieve and honor the victims. Many non-essential city employees attended the service.
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"Our entire community is reeling from this tragedy, including our employees," said Interim City Manager Chris Meschuk. "Ten lives were lost last week, including a beloved colleague and a city advisory board volunteer, and our staff need space and time to reflect, grieve and process an incredibly challenging week."
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