A Colorado police officer killed while responding to a grocery store mass shooting was a Ball State University alumnus. Eric Talley earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the Muncie school.
In a statement, the university’s Center for Information and Communications Sciences, where Talley studied, said the school mourns the tragic loss deeply.
According to Ball State, Talley worked in information technology until 2010. When a close friend died in a DUI crash, Talley switched careers and enrolled in the police academy at 40 years old.
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said of Talley, “He had a profession before this, but he felt a higher calling.”
Read More: Eric Talley: Family And Colleagues Remember Police Officer Slain At Boulder Grocery
Talley was one of the first officers to respond to a grocery store shooting in Boulder, Colorado. The father of seven was one of 10 victims. On Twitter, Ball State called Talley a hero.
Talley is also being called a hero by President Joe Biden. In Tuesday afternoon remarks, Biden commended “the exceptional bravery of Officer Eric Talley.”
He continued,“That’s the definition of an American hero.
