Arvada PD Ronald Troyke.
Ronald Troyke is the Arvada, Colorado, man seen ambushing and shooting Colorado police officer Gordon Beesley on June 21, 2021, in a video released by Arvada Police, authorities said.
Beesley had worked as a police officer for 19 years and was also a school resource officer, according to the Colorado Gazette.
The video, which you can watch below, shows the suspect walking up behind the officer, who was unaware of the threat that was approaching. Police say that Troyke harbored great animosity toward police and planned to kill officers.
A citizen hero named Johnny Hurley stopped the gunman and disarmed him, but Hurley was then shot and killed by a responding police officer who didn’t realize that Hurley was not the active shooter.
Link Strate, the police chief with the Arvada Police Department, called it a “terrible tragedy” in a video press release.
Strate said that “transparency is critically important. We lost two heroes on June 21 and we need to respect their memories and their loved ones.” According to the AP, the gunman was named Ronald Troyke, 59, of Arvada, Colorado. Neighbors told the Gazette that Troyke lived alone and kept to himself.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Video Captured the Ambush of the Officer by Ronald Troyke
Police released the video showing the officer being ambushed by Troyke. It starts at about 4:22 into the video news release above.
In a news release, Arvada Police released a timeline of the events of June 21, 2021. It is as follows:
• 12:49pm – The suspect’s brother calls asking for a welfare check because his brother was going to “do something crazy.”
• 1:08pm -Officer Beesley and another Arvada PD Officer attempted to contact the suspect at his residence, to check his welfare as requested. They are unable to make contact with him, and clear from the call for service at 1:18pm.
• 1:17pm – Dispatch receives a suspicious person call in the Olde Town Square.
• 1:30pm – Officer Beesley is dispatched to the suspicious person call, arriving at the Olde Town Square at 1:31pm.
• Officer Beesley parked on Webster Street and walked through an alley toward the Olde Town Square.
• As Officer Beesley walked westbound, the suspect pulled into the area in a truck and parked behind him.
• The suspect got out of his truck with a 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun, ran after Officer Beesley and yelled at him.
• Officer Beesley stopped, turned and immediately was shot twice by the suspect.
• Officer Beesley did not reach for his gun and takes no defensive action – he simply turns in response to the suspect who then shoots and kills him.
• The suspect then shot out the windows of patrol cars parked in the area and into the air.
• The suspect ran back to his truck and retrieved an AR-15.
• The suspect ran back towards the Olde Town Square with the long gun, where he was confronted by Mr. Hurley.
• Mr. Hurley then shot the suspect with a handgun.
• A responding Arvada Police Officer then encountered Mr. Hurley, who was holding the suspect’s AR-15. The officer shot him.
Police said that Arvada Police Department investigators “recovered a document written by the suspect which contained the following statements:”
• “My goal today is to kill Arvada PD officers”
• “We the people were never your enemy, but we are now”
• “This is what you get, you are the people who are expendable”
• “Hundreds of you pigs should be killed daily”
• “Today I will kill as many Arvada officers as I possibly can”
• “I just hope I don’t die without killing any of you pigs”
“The suspect goes on to express that this is his way of holding law enforcement accountable,” police wrote.
Police said in a video news release that the “reporting person” was a teenager who reported an older male party walked up to him, made a weird noise, and showed him a condom.
According to KDVR, Troyke previously worked as a truck driver, had filed for bankruptcy and had some old court cases.
Arvada Police Called Hurley’s Actions ‘Decisive’ & ‘Effective’
Strate said that Beesley was “brutally ambushed and murdered by someone who expressed hatred for police officers. The threat to our officers and community was stopped by a hero named Johnny Hurley.”
He called Hurley’s actions “decisive, courageous, and effective in stopping further life.”
“Mr. Hurley and his actions are heroic. He intervened in an active shooting that unfolded quickly in a busy commercial area … and he did so without hesitation,” said Strate.
“Mr. Hurley is a hero,” Arvada police also said in the news release. “He saved numerous lives to include civilians and other Arvada Police Officers. The Arvada Police Department understands and appreciates the public’s interest in the events that resulted in the tragic loss of Officer Gordon Beesley and the hero Johnny Hurley. We want to be clear that although these two deaths unfolded as part of the same incident, they are being investigated separately.”
Police reiterated: “Arvada PD views Mr. Hurley’s actions as heroic; it is clear that he intervened in an active shooting that unfolded quickly in a busy commercial area in the middle of the day, and that he did so without hesitation. Mr. Hurley’s actions certainly saved others from serious injury or death.”
They continued, “Finally, it is clear that the suspect bears responsibility for this tragic sequence of events. To protect the investigation, and consistent with CIRT protocols and applicable legal and ethical rules, Arvada PD will not comment further on the CIRT investigation until after it has been completed.”
Police also offered tribute to Beesley.
“It is clear the suspect harbored great animosity toward the Arvada Police Department. Gordon was a friend, a brother, a partner and part of us,” police said in the video release.
Hurley’s family also released a statement, according to Fox 31. It read,
Our beloved son and brother Johnny is no more. We loved him dearly. May he rest in peace. Before Johnny engaged in a clear-eyed response to a dire situation, he was already a wonderful human being with a great enthusiasm for life. Johnny had an inquiring mind, independent spirit, and strong principles, though he was beholden to no single cause or belief. He called out injustice when he saw it. He brought joy to many people and looked for the good in others. Moving forward without Johnny feels impossible. We are so proud of him. We are deeply moved by the outpouring of love from the community and are grateful for the support of the Arvada Police Department and their partners. We don’t yet have all of the information about what happened to Johnny, and we look forward to learning the outcome of a thorough and independent investigation. As a family, we ask that there not be speculation in the media while the facts are being determined.”
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