ARVADA, Colo. (KDVR) — The Jefferson County Coroner has officially identified the suspect accused of gunning down an Arvada police officer on Monday as 59 year-old Ronald Troyke.
Troyke’s apartment was raided on Monday, shortly after the shootings that claimed the lives of police officer Gordon Beesley and a good Samaritan named John Hurley.
Troyke is described by his neighbors as a quiet man who avoided interaction with most people in the complex.
Troyke filed for bankruptcy in 2013 and has a few traffic violations and other minor blemishes on his record from years ago, but no extensive criminal past.
Brian Burtt lives in the same apartment complex as Troyke, and his security camera was rolling on Monday as SWAT teams swarmed the suspect’s apartment.
However, Burtt said he and others knew very little about their neighbor now accused of horrific crimes.
“I probably said hi to him on the stairwell going up and down,” Burtt said.
Officers busted down Troyke’s door and shattered his windows. Many feared officers were looking for an explosive device.
Instead, they found a sparse apartment with very few items inside.
Many inside the complex said they feel unsettled about the raid that happened and also what their neighbor is accused of, but most say what bothers them even more is a lack of a motive.
Many are wondering what possessed the 59-year-old to ambush and target Beesley, as police described it, simply because he was a police officer.
“That’s just wrong. You would think there would have been some signs. Someone would have had to known something like that,” Burtt said.
Donations for Officer Beesley’s family and funeral expenses can be made through the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation website. The Arvada Police Department has also set up a web form for people wishing to make non-monetary donations.