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The funeral for an Arvada police officer who was killed in the line of duty will be held on Friday in Lafayette.
The service for 27-year-old Officer Dillon Michael Vakoff will begin at 10 a.m., at Flatirons Community Church, 355 W. South Boulder Road, according to a news release.
The service is open to the public, and parking will be available at the nearby RTD Lafayette Park & Ride, 1080 South Public Road, and at The District, 400 W. South Boulder Road, the release said. Public parking will not be available in the church parking lot. The public can also watch the service livestream on local news stations, or the church’s livestream at https://www.flatironschurch.com/memorial/.
A patrol vehicle remains parked outside of the Arvada Police Department, 8101 Ralston Road, where the public can leave sympathy notes and other items of support for the Vakoff family.
At 1:41 a.m. Sunday, Vakoff, along with another officer, responded to the 6700 block of West 51st Avenue to a report of a “large family disturbance” where he was fatally shot.
A suspect, Sonny Thomas Almanza, has been arrested for investigation of first-degree murder of a peace officer. Almanza allegedly shot a woman at the scene before firing at the two officers and allegedly killing Vakoff.
Vakoff served with Arvada police for three years and was a former U.S. Air Force staff sergeant.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in fire science and a master’s degree in emergency management, according to his obituary. Vakoff received the USAF Humanitarian Service Medal for his service in Saipan following a devastating typhoon. A dedicated bodybuilder, he was often found working out at 3 a.m.
“Dillon had a reputation for having an uncanny ability to recover stolen vehicles and spent his shifts staying busy, looking for opportunities to solve and prevent crime whenever time allowed,” the obituary said.
He is survived by his parents, Lisa Vakoff and Dan Lammers; his grandmother, Linda Vakoff; and companion, Megan Esslinger; among other family, friends and colleagues. Monetary donations may be made to Vakoff’s family through the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation at https://bit.ly/OfficerVakoffDonate.
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