ARVADA, Colo. — Gordon Beesley, the Arvada officer killed in a shooting in Olde Town Arvada, will be remembered during a vigil Tuesday evening.
The vigil will be held at Peace Lutheran Church, 5675 Field St. in Arvada, at 7 p.m. The community is invited but space at the church is limited. The vigil will be streamed on the city’s website and will air it on the city’s Channel 8.
The 19-year veteran of the Arvada Police Department was killed in a shooting in Olde Town Arvada that left two others dead Monday afternoon.
Beesley was responding to a call of a suspicious incident near the Arvada Library in Olde Town at around 1:15 p.m. About 15 minutes later, the department received calls of shots fired in the area and that an officer had been hit by gunfire.
During a news conference late Monday afternoon, Arvada Police Deputy Chief Ed Brady said the suspect was shot and killed at the scene and another person, believed to be a good Samaritan, was also shot and taken to a hospital, where that person later died.
Beesley was also a school resource officer at Oberon Middle School, Lincoln Academy, and Excel Charter Academy School. He worked patrol while school was out for the summer.
Jeffco Public Schools said Officer Beesley served the district for over 10 years and was “a deeply cherished member of our community.”
“He was valued by all who knew him including school staff and students, touching lives and always honoring others. We are thinking of his family, friends, and fellow officers, and honor him for his dedication to our students, schools, and district,” the district said in a statement.
Keaton Rich shared a video of Officer Beesley singing Feliz Navidad to Oberon Middle School students during Christmas time.
“It’s one of the sweet things he did. He was a musician and loved to talk about music with kids," Rich said.
A temporary memorial has been placed at the entrance to Arvada City Hall, 8101 Ralston Road. The city said this location is highly visible to the city’s public safety team and is the most meaningful place for people to pay respects and place memorials in support of Officer Beesley.
The department said anyone can make donations to the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation to support Beesley's family. The department also said it is the only official donation site and asked that no one create other accounts to collect donations. If you wish to make a non-monetary donation, fill out the form at https://bitly/BeesleyDonate.