Officer Memorial
We remember the Boulder police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to this community. They are gone, but they will never be forgotten.
Lawrence Bass
Chief Bass was killed in a traffic crash at the intersection of 19th and Pearl streets on March 18, 1920. At the time of his death, he was 49 years old and had served with the Boulder Police Department for 16 years.
Lawrence Bass started his policing career in Boulder in 1894. In his teens, Bass worked as a professional photographer and took many staged photos with his police peers. He provided photographs for the 1894 flood in Boulder and assisted in the rescue of citizens from this natural disaster, noting the immigrants and poor needed the greatest assistance.
Local government changes in 1917 turned Marshal Lawrence Bass to Chief of Police Bass. He was struck by the flu pandemic in 1918, leaving the police department understaffed as the city could not increase its budget by the end of WWI. A rise in theft and a rare sexual assault occurred during that time, and the ever-devoted Chief left his sickbed to assist in the investigations.
Chief Bass was known as a reformer as well as a punisher of lawbreakers, as he would return teens to their home rather than arrest them and urged the local paper not to publish names of first-time offenders. He was well known in the community as a pillar of morality.
On March 18 of 1920, a fire broke out near 28th and Pearl. While rushing to the scene with the fire chief, they collided with another vehicle, and beloved Chief Bass died. The local press described Bass as being “steadfast in his devotion to his office” and “in harmony with the modern spirit of law enforcement.”
Elmer Cobb
On November 19, 1923, Officer Cobb left his house to walk to work shortly after 5:30 a.m. He was one of six officers patrolling the city at that time. He and the chief worked the daytime shift from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. while two other officers worked from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. One traffic officer patrolled on motorcycle from mid-morning to mid-evening, and a new officer was assigned to the University Hill area, patrolling on foot from noon to midnight. The Daily Camera at the time called the new patrols the “Police Protection Deluxe.”
But when Officer Cobb didn't show up to relieve the night shift officer, that officer called Cobb's wife, and the pair went looking for him.
They found him behind a billboard in a vacant lot in the 100 block of Pearl Street. He had been shot. He was taken to the hospital, where he died a few hours later. Though there was an in-depth investigation, the circumstances surrounding his death remain a mystery, and no one was ever convicted.
Officer Cobb had worked for the Boulder Police Department for one year at the time of his death. He was 45 years old and had been married for 19 years.
He was the second officer in Boulder Police history to die in the line of duty, and the first one to be killed by gunfire.
Raymond J. McMaster
Officer McMaster was shot and killed on November 9, 1958, after stopping a car to question its occupants about a robbery.
Just before 2 a.m. that day, a call came in about two armed robbers fleeing Lyons heading toward Boulder. Officer McMaster and another officer positioned themselves on U.S. 36, watching for the vehicle that had been stolen from the café manager during the robbery. Unbeknownst to the officers, the gunmen had switched vehicles and been picked up by a friend who was now also in the vehicle and armed. The officers spotted a speeding vehicle, and although it did not match the café manager's vehicle, they decided to stop it.
The driver came out with his hands up, but the passenger and hidden third man opened fire, shooting Officer McMaster. Officer McMaster died of his injuries on the way to Boulder Community Hospital.
A house-to-house search eventually resulted in the capture of the shooter at a friend's home. He gave information on the other men, who had fled the state but were later arrested. They were convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
At the time of his death, Officer McMaster had been an officer with the Boulder Police Department for four years. He was 30 years old and left behind a 23-year-old wife and a 6-year-old daughter. His sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Gary Mills
On August 25, 1973, shortly after 9 p.m., Officer Mills responded to a home near 30th Street and Valmont to cover another officer. While Officer Mills was helping with the investigation, another resident in the neighborhood came out of his home, brandishing a shotgun while shouting at the officers. He then pointed his gun at the officers and began firing.
One witness said Officer Mills pushed a community member out of the way as he reached for his duty weapon, likely saving the individual's life. During the exchange, Officer Mills was shot and later died at the hospital. Another officer returned fire and wounded the suspect before he was taken into custody a short time later.
Officer Gary Mills was 26 years old, a Vietnam veteran, and had been taking classes for an associate's degree in law enforcement. Officer Mills had only been a police officer nine months when he was killed. His father had also served as a Boulder police officer for 19 years. Officer Mills left behind a 21-year-old widow who described his time at Boulder PD as the happiest time of his life.
Janet Hinkle
Janet (Bigelow) Hinkle joined the Boulder Police Department in 1971 as a civilian employee. In 1974, the first female officer was sworn in, and Janet was not far behind, becoming a sworn officer herself the next year.
On September 21, 1977, Officer Hinkle was in uniform leaving her home to go to the firing range when she was struck by a small truck. She later died during surgery at the hospital. Her tragic death was just days before her 24th birthday. Her husband, BCSO Deputy George Hinkle, laid her to rest on that day, with the funeral being led by the pastor who had recently married them.
The law enforcement family came out in large numbers to Officer Hinkle's funeral, with an estimated 200 officers in attendance, while support on the streets was provided by CUPD and BCSO.
At the time of her death, Officer Hinkle had been an officer with the Boulder Police Department for two years. She was 23 years old.
Beth Haynes
Officer Haynes was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call at an apartment complex on Eisenhower Drive around 12:30 a.m.
The suspect intended to kill a woman who did not want a relationship with him when he was confronted by Officer Haynes. As she contacted the suspect, a bystander ignored her orders to move from the danger area and stood by to watch. As Officer Haynes moved to the bystander in order to protect him, the suspect shot her. She was able to return fire, striking the suspect. The suspect then committed suicide as officers closed in on him.
When Officer Haynes died, she had served with the Boulder Police Department for four years. She was 26 years old.
Eric H. Talley
On March 22, 2021, just before 2:30 p.m., the Boulder Police began receiving multiple calls for an active shooter at a grocery store in south Boulder. Tragically, nine women and men lost their lives. Officer Eric Talley quickly arrived on scene and within 20 seconds was running into the store with his fellow officers to stop the shooter. He would be the 10th victim of this tragedy, sacrificing his life in the line of duty, but no one else would die after his selfless bravery. He was 51 years old and had been a Boulder police officer for 11 years.
Our hearts are with all of the families who lost a loved one that day, including our own who knew and loved Eric. Eric was a generous friend, a faithful father, a dedicated officer, and a devout man who spent his life in service to others. Eric was known for his humor, his compassion, and his generosity. He was a beacon of strength for others when they needed him, and a tower of love for his wife and children.
We will remember Eric's life in service and sacrifice. He may be gone, but he will never be forgotten.