Man Who Fatally Shot Arvada Police Officer Left Note Explaining Hatred For Cops

The man charged with shooting and killing a police officer in Arvada, Colorado, on Monday allegedly left behind a note to be found by investigators explaining his deepened hatred for cops and his objective to hurt Arvada police officers.

The Gazette reported that the suspect, Ronald Troyke, shot and killed Officer Gordon Beesley on Monday in Olde Town Arvada. A bystander, John Hurley, also died after being caught in the crossfire.

Troyke was fatally shot in the incident.

Arvada Police spokesman David Snelling told CBS4 upon inquiry that "the DA has asked us to refrain from details" regarding the events of the shooting.

The note, written by Troyke, is reportedly four pages long and details his hatred for police officers and his intent to hurt an Arvada officer. Snelling told The Gazette the letter was "given to us as part of a law enforcement safety concern."

Two unnamed officials told The Gazette that the note confirmed Beesley was targeted because of his police uniform.

According to CBS4, Arvada Police Chief Link Strate told reporters on Monday: "I can tell you Gordon was targeted because he was wearing an Arvada police uniform and a badge. While this was a deliberate act of violence, we still believe this was an isolated incident and our community is safe."

It is currently unclear what the letter says in its entirety, but Strate added that Troyke was "a person who expressed hatred of police officers."

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation recorded that Troyke was arrested in 1992 for a misdemeanor assault charge, but there was no record of a conviction, according to The Gazette.

A witness at the shooting on Monday described Royke as having worn black clothing and a tactical vest and walked away calmly after shooting Beesley.

"It seemed premeditated and planned out to me," Wiest told The Gazette.

Troyke's neighbor, Maicayla Sawaya, told the paper that "he was a weird neighbor." She said: "I didn't even know anyone lived in that apartment. He never took his trash out and I never saw him bring in groceries."

Meanwhile, Strate paid tribute to bystander Hurley at a news conference Tuesday.

"[Hurley] is a true hero who likely disrupted what could have been a larger loss of life," Strate said, CBS4 reported.

Beesley, the other victim, had spent 19 years on the force, as a patrol officer and school resource officer at the local middle school.

Erik Persson, a neighbor and friend of Beesley, told CBS4: "We're in the same neighborhood as the King Soopers shooting earlier this year, and it's fresh on everyone's minds."

The community gathered to contribute to a growing memorial outside the Arvada Police Department for Beesley.

Newsweek reached out to Arvada Police Department for comment.