DENVER (KDVR) — Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley lost his life when he was the first on the scene of a mass shooting that killed a total of 10 people at a King Soopers on Monday afternoon.

FOX31 spoke to Talley’s father hours after he was identified as the fallen officer in the shooting.

“He was a man of heart who loved his job,” Homer Talley said. He described Talley as someone who loved his family as he leaves behind seven children ranging in age from 7 years old to 20 years old.

He said Talley was a very good father, the family is holding up and that Talley’s wife was “a rock.”

Homer tells FOX31 his son joined the police force at the age of 40. Talley had a masters degree in computer science but decided to become a police officer.

Talley told his father that he would lay down his life for any of the officers that he worked with in a conversation the two had recently.

Talley was born in Houston but spent most of his life in New Mexico before moving to Colorado where he has been for several years.

Homer said his son was a man of faith, a believer in Jesus Christ and he loved his family more than anything.