Slain Colorado officer, father of seven, pursued policing as "a higher calling"

FILE PHOTO: Police officer Eric Talley, who was among several people who perished in Monday's mass shooting at King Soopers grocery in Boulder, Colorado, is seen in this handout photo obtained by Reuters on March 22, 2021. Boulder Police Department/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) -He was a father of seven, who drove a passenger van to take his family around town. He had been an officer for a decade but lately had been looking for other, safer work. He was devoutly religious.

Colorado police officer Eric Talley, 51, also was among the first to respond to gunfire on Monday at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, where he died along with nine others in the latest U.S. mass shooting.