Hundreds mourn slain Boulder Officer Eric Talley at funeral

With flashing lights for miles and a solemn procession of grief, people in and around Boulder paused to honor a fallen hero on Tuesday. From Eric Talley’s fellow officers flanking the casket to law enforcement from across the country saluting his service, heartfelt tributes poured in for the public servant, husband and dad who died in the March 22 shooting at a Colorado supermarket. 

“Be proud of your father. He is a hero. He lived his life through God to be a role model for you,” Sergeant Adrian Drelles, Talley’s direct supervisor, said during his funeral. 

Photos of Talley’s wife and seven children were set to music during the memorial. The family, who asked not to be photographed, provided a poem his children wrote for him for Christmas 2019. 

The words were read by Father Daniel Nolan: “Dad, our unsung hero, you daily risk your life at work to guard and care for the welfare of the needy. Oh, our praises could never be enough.”

The tributes that have been placed at King Soopers grocery store, where 10 people were killed on March 22, will be preserved, possibly as part of a future memorial. 

Boulder Mayor Sam Weaver told CBS News the supermarket will reopen in a few months, saying that it’s important for the community to reclaim the space.