The City of Arvada has settled for $2.775 million in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Johnny Hurley, who was killed by police in the 2021 Olde Town shooting.
Hurley’s family sued over his death, which occurred on June 21, 2021 after Hurley had killed a gunman who had just killed Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beesley.
Hurley was killed by another officer who mistook him for the perpetrator.
Ronald Troyke fatally shot Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beesley in a planned attack in Olde Town Square, at which point Hurley — who was shopping at the Army & Navy Surplus Store across the street — rushed out and fatally shot Troyke.
Arvada Police Officer Kraig Brownlow was one of the three APD officers who immediately responded to the shooting, and, mistaking Hurley for Troyke, Brownlow fatally shot Hurley. …
I mean, I’m all for appropriate consequences, but this is one of the simplest arguments against the good guy with a gun theory.
It’s entirely understandable to assume the guy firing the gun is the active shooter and to dispatch him as quickly and directly as possible. Hesitation could cost lives. If he’d waited while the active shooter killed more people, we’d still all be here appropriately calling for this guy’s job.
The real villain is our disgraceful gun laws and both “hero” and officer are victims in their own way.
To corroborate this point, remember that there was a “good guy with a gun” in the crowd when Gabby Giffords was shot, and he decided not to draw his weapon, because he didn’t want to be mistaken for the perpetrator.
Oh yeah, ‘hero with a gun’ is a loony concept almost any way you look at it, starting at the first moment: simply strapping on a gun for a trip to the mall ID’s the man with a gun as a nut.