COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs spoke about fallen El Paso County sheriff’s deputy Micah Flick on Wednesday night.

“My wife, we just sat and cried. Just broke our hearts. He’s a good man, with a good family,” Brady Boyd said.

Boyd reflected on the life of his parishioner and friend, who was gunned down in the line of duty on Monday afternoon.

“For him to get out of that car and to confront someone who was stealing a car to protect our community, he was just wired to respond that way. He was a hero in every sense of the word,” Boyd said.

Boyd said Flick was a man full of integrity, who loved challenges, as evident by working up in the ranks to make detective with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office by age 34.

“His wife Rachel told me this story yesterday of him going to this rigorous training to be on some kind of elite team for the sheriff’s department and he came back all bruised up and cut and just thought it was the best day ever,” Boyd said.

“He came home beaming about it. He was a tough guy, full of adventure.”

Boyd said Flick’s twins, Levi and Lala, recognized the danger of their dad’s job and prayed with him before he left their house.

“Levi and Lala would pray for their dad’s safety. There was a prayer on the wall for police officers and often they would pray that prayer over their dad as he left for work They had prayed for him to be protected, so they’re wrestling with that. It’s tender, it’s sweet and painful,” Boyd said.

Flick was the third deputy killed on the Front Range over the past five weeks. Boyd believes more dialogue needs to happen in communities to put a stop to the violence.

“I think we need to have serious conversations about violence in our culture and how we deal with the criminal element who want to rob us of good people,” Boyd said.