The trial of a man accused of shooting and killing Arvada Police Officer Dillon Vakoff while he was responding to a domestic violence dispute starts Tuesday with jury selection.

Sonny Almanza, 32, faces nine charges in connection with Vakoff’s death on Sept. 11, 2022.

The funeral of Vakoff, 27, a well-liked officer who dreamed of joining Arvada’s SWAT team, drew hundreds of people, many of them police officers from all corners of Colorado.

The day Vakoff was killed, he and another officer were responding to break up a fight between family members of Almanza and the mother of his children. Authorities alleged that Almanza used an AR-style rifle to shoot into a group, and one hit his ex-girlfriend’s sister, the police said.

Vakoff fired in response, and another volley of shots by Almanza hit Vakoff several times, according to police testimony during a probable cause hearing for the case against Almanza.

One shot, which severed Vakoff’s spinal cord, killed him instantly.

Neighbors told The Denver Gazette that there had been numerous domestic violence issues in the past at Almanza’s house in the 6700 block of 51st Avenue, including an incident the night before when they said a car drove by and someone in the car fired a gun into the air.

Almanza had a previous conviction for felony assault with a deadly weapon. His charges in relation to Vakoff’s death included first-degree murder of a peace officer; first-degree murder with extreme indifference; attempted murder with extreme indifference; second-degree assault against his ex-girlfriend’s sister, Mercedes Lopez; possession of a weapon by a previous offender; and, possession of a banned high-capacity magazine.

In June, he was set a bond of $15 million cash only, in part because of a recorded phone call he made from jail in which he claimed he would delay proceedings as long as possible if he were released.