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July 1, 2021
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15 | SPORTS: PAGE 16
VOLUME 17 | ISSUE 2
The day after a tragedy Olde Town community grieves after shooting BY RYAN DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Arvada Police Department PIO Dave Snelling shares additional information about the shooting during a 5:10 p.m. briefing on June 21. PHOTOS BY RYAN DUNN
Arvada police give update on Olde Town shooting
APD releases video and timeline of events BY RYAN DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A video released by the Arvada Police is offering details and a timeline of the shooting of an Arvada Police officer on June 21. Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beesley was shot by Ronald Troyke, 59, in Olde Town Square on June 21 before another responding APD officer shot civilian Johnny Beesley Hurley, 40, who had shot Troyke and was holding Troyke’s AR15 when authorities arrived on the scene, according to information released by the APD on June 25. Two investigations are ongoing; a crimiHurley nal investigation into the death of Officer Beesley led by
Police tape surrounds the scene in Olde Town Arvada on the afternoon of June 21, following reports of a shooting.
APD with assistance from state and federal agencies, and a Critical Incident Response Team investigation into the death of Johnny Hurley led by Jefferson County District
An eerie quiet fills the air in Olde Town the morning after one of the most devastating incidents in Arvada’s memory; a shooting in Olde Town Square on June 21 that claimed the lives of Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beesley and Johnny Hurley, 40. Hurley has since been described by authorities as a “good Samaritan” who intervened in the shooting. On June 22, a handful of locals could be found sipping coffee outside La Dolce Vita or picking up pastries from Rheinlander Bakery — the stockroom of which housed panicked passersby fleeing gunfire a day prior — but the streets of Grandview Avenue and Olde Wadsworth were mostly empty. Most businesses were closed, with just a select few opening their doors in the wake of the previous day’s events. Some experienced staffing issues as employees felt unsure about returning to work in such close proximity to the shooting. “Half my staff called out,” said an employee at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, which was open on June 22. “They don’t feel good about being here.” Others, like Third Eye Gifts owner Sarbajit Basnet, who sought shelter in the back of his store during the shooting, felt compelled to return to their workplace despite witnessing the events of June 21 unfold firsthand. “I feel so — I can’t explain how I feel,” said Basnet. “I have to come here. This is the only place I work. I have a newborn baby I have to take care of. I’ve got to be here. I had to pick my car up anyway. I don’t know how long I’ll stay (today).”
Attorney Alexis King into whether there was appropriate conduct on the part of responding APD officers.
Better to have something to do Steven Cohen owns Arvada Navy Surplus, located directly across from Olde Town Square. He said
SEE SHOOTING, P5
SEE DAY AFTER, P4