Arvada, Colo. — In an update Tuesday, the Arvada Police Department said the man who killed two people — including Officer Gordon Beesley and a Good Samaritan — expressed a hatred of police officers and ambushed Beesley in the attack in Olde Town Arvada Monday afternoon.
The department identified the Good Samaritan as John Hurley, 40, of Golden. Chief Link Strate called Hurley a “true hero who likely disrupted what could have been a larger loss of life.”
The department did not release further details on the circumstances surrounding the shooting or how Hurley intervened to help, but said Beesley was targeted by the suspect because “he was wearing an Arvada Police uniform and a badge.”
The Jefferson County Coroner's Office confirmed the suspected shooter is Ronald Troyke, 59, of Arvada. His cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds.
On Monday, the department said Beesley was responding to a call of a suspicious incident near the Arvada Library in Olde Town at around 1:15 p.m. About 15 minutes later, the department received calls of shots fired in the area and that an officer had been shot.
“Gordon was a true gentleman and a kind soul. He always had a smile on his face and everyone felt better after having a conversation with Gordon,” Strate said. “It is an inconceivable loss for his family.”
Beesley, a 19-year veteran with the department since 2002, worked as a patrol officer, field training officer, motorcycle officer and as a school resource officer at Oberon Middle School.
Donations for Beesley can be made through the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation. Details are not yet available for donations to Hurley’s family.
A vigil will be held Tuesday night to honor Beesley at Peace Lutheran Church, 5675 Field St. in Arvada, at 7 p.m. The community is invited but space at the church is limited. The vigil will be streamed on the city’s website and will air it on the city’s Channel 8.
The Arvada mayor and city council released a statement that read, in part:
“Now, more than ever, we must pull together and support each other through this difficult time. Despite what happened yesterday, Arvada remains a community of neighbors and friends. We will follow Officer Beesley’s example, and we will continue to find and grow what is good in our community.”
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office’s Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the police shooting that occurred. State and federal law enforcement partners are also assisting in investigating the shooting.
“While this was a deliberate act of violence, we still believe this was an isolated incident and our community is safe,” Strate said.
Counseling for anyone impacted by the shooting will be available at Shrine of Saint Anne’s 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
