New York Post
Boulder’s police chief on Tuesday described the King Soopers shooting as “personal” — recalling how she had just seen slain officer Eric Talley‘s family for an award ceremony a few weeks ago.
“I live three blocks up the street from that store,” Chief Maris Herold told reporters Tuesday, her voice trembling. “You’re worried about your neighbors, you’re worried about your partner, you’re worried about everything when you get that call. So, yeah, I feel numb.”
Veteran Boulder cop Talley, 51, was killed after arriving first on scene.
“This officer has seven children, ages 5 to 18,” she said. “I just had that officer’s whole family in my office two weeks ago to give him an award. So it’s personal. This is my community, I live here.”
The Boulder Police Department recently presented one of Talley’s sons with an award for saving the life of his sibling, who was choking on a quarter.
“Officer Talley taught CPR, and he taught his family CPR,” Herold recalled. “Because Officer Talley taught his children CPR, one of his sons was able to save the little boy’s life.”
Talley joined the department at age 40 in 2010 — swapping his original career for a police shield.
“He’s a very kind man. He didn’t have to go into policing — he had a profession before this,” said Herold. “But he fell at a higher calling.
“He was willing to die to protect others and that gets lost in translation.”
Herold identified the nine other victims in Monday’s supermarket shooting. They range in age from 20 to 65.
She also identified the suspect, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, who is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder.
This Story First Appeared At The New York Post
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