A 'have-a-go-hero' who opened fire and shot dead a cop murderer was killed in a case of mistaken identity by an officer arriving at the scene.
Johnny Hurley was shopping in Denver, Colorado, US, when he saw gunman Ronald Troyke kill police officer Gordon Beesley before pulling out his own firearm and shooting him dead.
Police had been called after reports of a man acting suspiciously, last Monday, and Officer Beesley was caught in an ambush by Troyke.
He ran after the officer and shot him twice without giving him chance to defend himself, said police officials.
Security footage released by police shows Troyke running after Beesley in a car park and shooting him, as two bystanders stand nearby.
Troyke, 59, then returned to his truck to grab an AR-15 and was holding it when Hurley - who was carrying a concealed weapon - confronted him and shot him dead, reported the New York Post.
Then when another officer turned up at the scene, he saw Hurley holding the suspect's rifle - and mistook him for the police killer and fatally shot him.
It has emerged that that shortly before the deadly shootings, Troyke's brother called police and told them he was going to "do something crazy".
Two officers went to Troyke's home within 20 minutes but were unable to find him.
Police have released excerpts from a note written by Troyke where he pledged to kill as many officers as he could.
"We the people were never your enemy, but we are now," and "hundreds of you pigs should be killed daily," the document reportedly stated.
"Today I will kill as many Arvada officers as I possibly can ... I just hope I don't die without killing any of you pigs."
Police Chief Link Strate reportedly said: "Officer Beesley was responding to a call in the area of Olde Town Arvada, and within seconds he was brutally ambushed and murdered by someone who expressed hatred towards police officers."
He went on: "The threat to our officers and our community was stopped by a hero named Johnny Hurley. Johnny's actions can only be described as decisive, courageous, and effective in stopping further loss of life."
The unnamed cop who gunned down Hurley was placed on administrative leave as independent law enforcement agencies investigate whether he should be charged with a crime.
But the Arvada Police Department said in a statement that blame for 40-year-old Mr Hurley's death lies with Troyke, saying: "it is clear that the suspect bears responsibility for this tragic sequence of events."
Mr Hurley's family released a statement saying: "Our beloved son and brother Johnny is no more. We loved him dearly. May he rest in peace.
"Before Johnny engaged in a clear-eyed response to a dire situation, he was already a wonderful human being with a great enthusiasm for life."
