BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — The widow of a fallen deputy offered her support in the form of a letter on Tuesday to the family of Boulder police officer Eric Talley.
Rachael Flick lost her husband, El Paso County Deputy Micah Flick, when he was killed in the line of duty back in February 2018.
Mrs. Flick felt compelled to send a message of hope to Mrs. Eric Talley. Officer Talley was the first officer to arrive on scene Monday at the Boulder King Soopers where a gunman opened fire. Talley was one of 10 people killed.
“Dear Mrs. Talley, I am so so sorry. All of us are. Your Colorado line of duty widows are all heartbroken with and for you. We’re only a few heartbeats away from you and your children,” read part of the letter posted on Flick’s Facebook page.
FOX31 interviewed Flick about her message to the Talleys.
“I wanted Mrs. Talley to feel seen. I wanted her to feel known. I wanted her to know that in the midst of the tremendous loss, that there are those of us like Rachel Swazey, Gracie Parrish and Natasha Gumm, and many others, who’ve lost their husbands in the line of duty who know what the fine details are of her loss,” said Flick.
Flick said she felt support from the, as she put it, “line-of-duty widow club,” following her husband’s death. One of the fellow widows pushed county officials to make sure Flick and her kids had continued health care coverage. This is an effort also already underway for the Talley family, according to Flick.
Flick said based on her own experience, monetary donations through official channels are a great way to support the Talley family. She also said gift cards could be a major help as well. Flick said there will come a time where loved ones are no longer dropping off casseroles. Gift cards will help Talley when she doesn’t have the strength to cook but still needs to feed her family.
On the topic of grief, Flick offered her podcast as a resource. She hosts “The Hopecast” as a professional counselor herself.