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'Our distinct honor': Police use officer Eric Talley's handcuffs to arrest Boulder shooting suspect

Eric Talley handcuffs
Posted at 10:50 AM, Mar 25, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-25 14:40:55-04

BOULDER, Colo. — Police formally took the Boulder shooting suspect into custody at a hospital this week, and when they did, they let him know: The handcuffs they were placing on him belonged to officer Eric Talley, who died trying to save others Monday at the King Soopers off Table Mesa Drive.

"It was our distinct honor to use Officer Talley's handcuffs to formally process him into the jail," the Boulder Police Department tweeted on Thursday, posting a picture of Talley's cuffs. "Though this was a small gesture, we hope it is the start of the healing process that so many of us need at this time."

Talley, a 51-year-old father of seven, was the first responding officer to Monday's mass shooting, which left 10 people dead.

"He's everything policing deserves and needs," Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold said. "He cared about this community, he cared about Boulder Police Department, and he cared about his family. And he was willing to die to protect others."

Officials have said Talley's actions, running toward the gunfire, and the actions of other police officers, saved lives.

"He died charging into the line of fire to save people who were simply trying to live their lives and go food shopping," Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said.

Eric Talley

Hundreds of supporters lined the streets of Boulder County on Wednesday for a procession that transported Talley's body from the coroner's office to a funeral home in Aurora.

“I know what it’s like to run towards danger, you know,” a woman named Jeanine, a former police officer who attended the procession, told Denver7. “And, you know, he paid the ultimate price for our community. It’s heartbreaking. And I wish to God that our Congress would do something about gun control. It’s not OK for us not to feel safe in our communities."

The suspect made his first court appearance Thursday morning. He faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.

MORE | These are the 10 victims of the Boulder King Soopers shooting

Community honors Boulder Officer Eric Talley with procession Wednesday