[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 29, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3244-H3245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING HEROES GORDON BEESLEY AND JOHNNY HURLEY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, on June 21, 2021, the community of 
Arvada, Colorado, experienced a tragedy. In a matter of minutes, our 
community lost two heroes, with dozens of Arvada residents left stunned 
and horrified.
  Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beesley was responding to a report of 
suspicious activity in Olde Town Arvada when he was ambushed and shot 
by a man who had immense hatred toward the police.
  Minutes later, a Good Samaritan named Johnny Hurley intervened and 
shot the suspect, undoubtedly saving countless other lives. In a 
tragedy upon a tragedy, Hurley was then mistaken as the shooter, and he 
was killed.
  Officer Gordon Beesley joined the Arvada Police Department in 2002 
and served in a number of roles for the department. He spent most of 
the year working as a school resource officer at local schools in our 
community, including Oberon Middle School, Lincoln Academy, and Excel 
Academy Charter School. During the summers, he often returned to patrol 
work, as he was doing last Monday in Olde Town Arvada.
  Officer Beesley was a well-known and well-liked member of our 
community. His calm, gentle, and patient demeanor made a big difference 
in his day-to-day interactions with students, especially those students 
who needed it most.
  In 2015, he was named employee of the year by the city of Arvada 
after the city learned Officer Beesley was riding his bike to school 
multiple times a week with a student who suffered from developmental 
delays and was not able to ride by himself.
  Countless other stories have surfaced from students, his colleagues, 
and community members in the days following his death about the impact 
he had on their lives, big and small.
  He was an accomplished drummer and singer who played in local Arvada 
bands Railbenders and Brethren Fast.
  We will remember Officer Beesley's kindness and bravery and the 
approach he brought to life each and every day to ``make someone feel 
special today.''
  Hearing gunshots, another hero stepped up to protect and defend the 
community, 40-year-old Denver resident Johnny Hurley. According to 
Arvada's chief of police, Johnny's actions were ``decisive, courageous, 
and effective in stopping further loss of life.''

  Johnny's friends and family remembered him as an idealist and 
iconoclast and were not surprised to learn Johnny stepped up to defend 
his community in a time of need.
  The loss of Johnny Hurley is tragic. I join the Arvada Police 
Department and our community at large in honoring his bravery for his 
actions that day, which undoubtedly saved lives.
  Although we don't know all the facts, our hearts go out to the 
officer who mistook Mr. Hurley for the shooter.
  This has been a difficult week for our community, including for 
members of the Arvada Police Department. Our heroes in uniform are 
charged with protecting our communities, and last week's shooting is a 
reminder of the dangers our police officers face each and every day 
across the country.
  Olde Town Arvada is a close-knit community at the heart of Arvada. On 
a typical day, it is a busy, vibrant, cheerful part of town. Mr. 
Speaker, June 21, 2021, was a dark day for our community, and it is 
difficult for many of us to process it.
  My deepest and heartfelt condolences go out to the families of 
Officer Beesley and Johnny Hurley and the entire Arvada community. 
Arvadans are resilient and strong. Together, we will get through this.

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