How Officer Gordon Beesley made his mark on Colorado’s music scene

Sitting in front of a drum set and next to a coat that reads the band name, “Brethren Fast,” Nathan Nicholson reflects on his time playing alongside his friend and former band mate, Arvada Police Officer Gordon Beesley. “He was a great drummer, had a great drum kit,” Nicholson said. “He was very organized, had his own method and he always had a smile on his face. He’s back there just having the time of his life.”

Beesley and 40-year-old John Hurley, who was identified as a good Samaritan by Arvada police, were killed in a shooting in Olde Town on Monday afternoon.

A growing memorial outside of Arvada City Hall includes a few drum sticks, and that’s because Beesley was well known not only as a devoted School Resource Officer and police officer, but also a talented musician. From the stage to the classroom, friends that knew Beesley say he will also be remembered for using that talent to connect with so many people.

Nicholson says he knew Beesley in 1995 and beyond, staying in touch over the years. He explained how when he met Beesley, he looked up to him. “I played the drums when I met him, yeah. I was a drummer,” he said. “I played in a band and started kind of taking notes from him because he played in a bigger band.”

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