Shooter Who Killed Arvada Officer 'Hated Police,' Chief Says

ARVADA, CO — The police officer killed in Monday's shooting in Arvada was targeted because he was wearing a police uniform and badge, Arvada's police chief announced in a news conference Tuesday.

Officer Gordon Beesley was shot near West 57th Avenue and Olde Wadsworth Boulevard in an ambush "by a person who expressed hatred of police officers," Arvada Police Chief Link Strate said. Two others — a suspect and a man described as a 'Samaritan' — were also shot and killed.

The Samaritan has been identified as John Hurley, 40, of Golden. He was a "true hero who likely disrupted what could have been a larger loss of life," Strate said.

No further details were released about the nature of the shooting or how Hurley helped to save lives. Many statements still need to be taken from witnesses and detectives need to investigate a large amount of crime scene information before details are released, police said.

The suspect has been identified as 59-year-old Ronald Troyke, according to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office.

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Flowers were piled on top of a police cruiser festooned with U.S. flags and balloons Tuesday outside the Arvada Police Department in a memorial for Beesley, less than a mile from where the deadly shooting occurred. A vigil for Beesley was held Tuesday evening at Peace Lutheran Church.

"This location is highly visible to the City’s public safety team and is the most meaningful place for people to pay respects and place memorials in support of Officer Beesley, his family and our Police Department," the city of Arvada said in a news release.

Beesley worked for the Arvada Police Department for 19 years as a patrol officer and as a motorcycle traffic officer before he was assigned to work with students at Oberon Middle School.

According to his school resource officer biography, Beesley played the drums in a band and enjoyed hiking, biking, skiing and camping with his family. His motto was “Look for the good in every day.”

The biography posted on the city's website said: “He is dedicated to fostering a safe environment in his school, opening the lines of communication for the students, and teaching them the importance of integrity as they move on to the next phase of their lives.”

In 2015, Beesley began biking to school alongside a seventh grader with a developmental delay after learning he was really interested in bicycles but his mother did not want him riding alone, according to a KUSA-TV story.

After Beesley was killed Monday, about 100 people — some holding American flags and pro-police flags — gathered as a procession of police cars and motorcycles escorted the hearse carrying Beesley’s body to the coroner’s office.

Among them was Elaine Magnuson, who choked up as she watched. She originally thought the huge police response in the area indicated that a car accident might have happened — not a shooting that killed a police officer.

“It’s so close,” she said.

Arvada Mayor Marc Williams and City Council penned the following letter to the community, which was released Tuesday before the vigil:

Dear Arvadans,

Your City Council remains shocked and deeply saddened by the violence that killed Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beesley and others, and that was witnessed by so many in our community. We also remain steadfast in our support for our Police Department and the City Team, and in our faith in the Arvada Community to come together to help each other through this extremely difficult time. We are grateful to the community members who helped protect each other during the violence and who are working now to provide mental health support and friendship to those most severely affected by this tragedy.

The loss of Officer Beesley is heartbreaking. The City’s 2014 Employee of the Year, he was a hero who continually demonstrated dedication and kindness in service to our community. Officer Beesley never hesitated to answer the call of duty, including yesterday afternoon.

Those who have not served in the line of duty can never appreciate what it’s like to put one’s life on the line as a requirement of one’s job. However, we can and do appreciate that service and the tremendous sacrifice that our public safety professionals are willing to make on our behalf.

To borrow from a speech delivered at the annual Fallen Heroes ceremony several years ago by Police Chief Link Strate, Officer Beesley’s service is “what we mean when we talk about the ultimate sacrifice.” We remain “grateful and amazed that we continue to find brave, young men and women who are willing to do this work that commits them to a life of service.”

The City Council stands with our Police, who even now are working tirelessly to keep our community safe.

We stand with you and the Arvada community. We understand that yesterday’s events have been extremely difficult for the rest of our City team, our community partners and the entire community, particularly the people visiting or working in the Olde Town area. Our thoughts are also with the Oberon Middle School community, where Officer Beesley built so many enduring relationships.

Officer Beesley had a motto: “Look for the good in every day.” Your City Council views this as a call to action to our community. 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 Associated Press contributed to this report.