Arvada Police: 'Hero' Johnny Hurley Confronted Gunman, Shot Him Before Another Officer Shot Hurley
ARVADA, Colo. (CBS4)- Arvada police have released more details about Monday afternoon's shooting in Olde Town Arvada. Police said that good Samaritan Johnny Hurley confronted the gunman and took a weapon from him after the suspect shot and killed Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beesley.
Police have released a timeline of the events that happened on Monday in Olde Town Arvada that left Beesley and Hurley dead.
Police said that at 12:49 p.m. the suspect's brother called police asking for a welfare check because his brother was going to "do something crazy."
Beesley and another Arvada police officer attempted to contact the suspect at his residence at 1:08 p.m., but are unable to make contact with him.
Just nine minutes later, dispatch receives a report of a suspicious person in Olde Town Square.
At 1:30 p.m. Beesley is dispatched to the suspicious person call and arrived at the square just one minute later.
Beesley parked on Webster Street and walked through the alley toward Olde Town Square when 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 Beesley and yelled at him. That's when Beesley stopped, turned and was immediately shot twice by the suspect.
The suspect then shot out the windows of patrol cars parked in the area and shot into the air. The suspect then 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 Hurley.
Hurley shot the suspect with a handgun. A responding Arvada police officer encountered Hurley, who was holding the suspect's AR-15 and the officer shot Hurley.
Funeral services for Beesley have been scheduled for Tuesday, June 29.
Investigators have 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"
Police released this statement, "Mr. Hurley is a hero. 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."
The statement continues on, "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."
Police released a YouTube video that shows some of the footage leading up to the shooting.
Hurley's family released a statement on Friday afternoon that reads, in part, "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."
