On June 21, 2021, John Hurley, aged 40, intervened when Ronald Troyke, armed with a shotgun and an AR-15-style rifle, had already killed Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beasley. Hurley used his concealed handgun to shoot and kill Troyke, stopping further potential harm. However, after picking up Troyke’s AR-15 rifle, Hurley was mistakenly shot and killed by responding Officer Kraig Brownlow, who believed Hurley was the threat. Investigations later found the officer’s actions legally justified.

Officer Beasley

John Hurley

We were unable to find a picture of the shooter Ronald Troyke or Officer Kraig Brownlow.

Two different letters written by Troyke are referenced in the media, but we could only find them online on a website called Issuu. These documents were noted as being released by Colorado Community Media after being released by the Arvada Police Department.

The incident began around 1:30 p.m. when Ronald Troyke, a 59-year-old man with a history of mental illness and threats against law enforcement, ambushed and killed Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beasley, a 19-year veteran, using a semiautomatic shotgun. Troyke was also carrying an AR-15-style rifle, indicating his intent for a potentially larger attack. This act set the stage for John Hurley’s intervention.

John Hurley, was nearby and, upon hearing the shots, approached the scene armed with his legally carried concealed handgun. Hurley shot and killed Troyke, effectively stopping the immediate threat. Following this, Hurley picked up the AR-15 rifle that Troyke had been carrying, likely to secure it. Moments later, Arvada Police Officer Kraig Brownlow arrived at the scene and, seeing Hurley with the rifle, mistakenly identified him as the shooter. Brownlow fired, killing Hurley. This tragic mistake was later deemed legally justified by the First Judicial District Attorney Alexis King, who stated that Brownlow had “objectively reasonable grounds” to believe he and others faced imminent danger.

Hurley’s actions were widely hailed as heroic by local authorities and media. Arvada Police Chief Link Strate described Hurley as a “hero,” noting that his intervention “stopped further loss of life” in a busy commercial area during midday. Reports indicate that Hurley had prepared for such a scenario, having trained with former military personnel and carrying his handgun regularly, reflecting his readiness to act. By neutralizing Troyke, Hurley prevented what could have been a larger casualty count, given Troyke’s stated intent to “kill as many Arvada officers as I can,” as found in notes at Troyke’s home.

John Hurley’s mother won a lawsuit filed against the Arvada police department for a total of 2.775 million dollars.

The officer Kraig Brownlow left the Arvada Police Department shortly after the incident. We could not find any information on what Brownlow is doing presently.