FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLIC RELEASE

Johnny Hurley - Activist, Chef, Musician, Community Pillar

Killed By Police After Stopping Active Gunman!?!

From We Are Change Colorado, as friends of Johnny Hurley
June 23, 2021
https://wearechangecolorado.com
wearechangeco@protonmail.com

Dear friends, activists, and liberty lovers, especially all of you brave souls who make up We Are Change Colorado, past and present....

One of our most cherished leaders and good friends, Johnny Hurley aka Johnny Verbal, was involved in a shooting in Arvada on Monday, June 21, where he fearlessly and valiantly put his body and will in front of an active shooter, stopped that shooter, defending many innocent souls, and then apparently lost his life at the hands of an arriving police officer. By all accounts he was a genuine hero, and many people present at the scene said the actions he took saved many lives. A death worthy of Valhalla, regardless of our personal beliefs.

The outpouring of love and support we are getting is really incredible. We all need to talk, and to mourn, and celebrate his life and friendship.

And we need to know what happened.

Who was Johnny Hurley

We cannot say enough how much this loss has devastated and shocked our community. So many of us are reeling from this unexpected loss. Johnny was so many things to all of us, a good friend, leader, activist, musician, organizer, lover of freedom, and someone who wanted to help, educate, and defend everyone's freedoms & lives, regardless of the consequences. He lived what he thought, walked his talk.

We can actually allow Johnny to introduce himself:

In 2009 I met up with We Are Change Colorado at a street action outside my restaurant on the 16th Street Mall in Denver, CO. [...] Finally! These were my people! I jumped immediately in and we had many great successes in spreading messages of truth and freedom. Some close calls, some failures, but all great times, always in the name of free humanity. I believe that we have certainly been effective in putting out our messages and that we have made a difference in people's lives.

Now I, as so many, many folks have, come full circle (pun intended) back to the Anarchy symbol; to an understanding of Natural Law, of the non-aggression principle, of Libertarian values. Though it may be great folly to think that you have come to the end of your path to truth, that you finally have all the answers and you now "get it", I feel that this is a further awakening for myself and a lot of folks. It feels almost as liberating again as the first time to know that I own myself, and that this whole charade of government is one big fat lie, and that there's really no need to bother with it anymore.

Feel free to learn more about Johnny via his Instagram, or a few of his blog posts:

The Death of a Hero: What We Know So Far...

We know that Johnny was in the Army Navy Surplus store when the shooting started, and that he immediately rushed out, shot the gunman 5 or 6 times, killing him. From there, the story has a hole, which ends with the eye witness, Bill Troyanos, who saw Johnny kill the gunman, surprised to see Johnny being carried away in a stretcher... leaving him to say "I would like to know how Hurley got shot"

The police have not released a statement yet on who killed Johnny, or who killed the gunman, but that Johnny was "a true hero" according to the police chief.

However, Denver7's Chief Investigator Tony Kovaleski has confirmed through multiple sources including law enforcement that Johnny "was shot and killed by a police bullet."

The Westword published their story with the headline "A Startling Twist in the Old Towne Arvada Shooting. Here's the Latest.", which they immediately changed to "Johnny Hurley Hailed, ___ ____ ID'd in Old Towne Arvada Ambush."

What happens Next

The loss of a loved one, a pillar of his community, is never an easy thing. In this case, our good friend Johnny not only lost his life risking it to save others, but now the police are staying strangely tight-lipped, leaving the corporate media to run with various possible narratives.

First, we demand that the Arvada Police Department release an official statement on how Johnny was killed, as well as all evidence pertaining to his death.

Second, if it is found that a member of the Arvada Police Department is responsible for Johnny Hurley's death, that officer will be held liable, and brought to court for remedy, in his or her personal capacity, as well as the department itself.

Third, we ask that anyone who feels called to donate to this GoFundMe created to support Johnny's family in this horrifying time.

Fourth, those who knew Johnny are invited to send a video, audio, or written message recounting their most profound memory of Johnny, and/or answering the question "If he had this moment in the media spotlight, what would Johnny want the world to hear?" Send these messages to wearechangeco@protonmail.com