Tag: Dillon Vakoff
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Man sentenced to life in prison after shooting and killing Arvada officer
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Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save An audible sigh of relief could be heard from the countless number of police officers stuffed into an overflow Jefferson County courtroom — Sonny Almanza will serve life in prison for shooting and killing their fellow officer. First Judicial District Court Judge Russell Klein sentenced 32-year-old Almanza…
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Man found guilty of first-degree murder in death of Arvada police officer
A Jefferson County jury convicted an Arvada man of first-degree murder on Thursday for the 2022 shooting death of an Arvada police officer. Sonny Almanza, 32, faces life in prison without parole at his sentencing on Dec. 14 for the murder of Arvada Police Officer Dillon Vakoff. Jurors also convicted Almanza of seven other counts,…
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Defendant testifies as murder trial in death of Arvada officer wraps up
Self-defense or the cold-blooded murder of a police officer doing his job? That’s the choice the jury in the murder trial of Sonny Almanza must make when members begin deliberating Thursday morning. Attorneys for both sides presented their closing statements Wednesday afternoon, after Almanza himself took the stand and said he didn’t realize he’d shot…
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Key witness testifies after evading arrest in alleged cop murderer trial
After ignoring a subpoena and evading arrest, a key witness took the stand Friday in the murder trial of a man accused of killing an Arvada police officer. Jerry Lopez, arrested Thursday after four days on the run, appeared in court in an orange jail jumpsuit. Prosecutors called Lopez to describe the events leading up…
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Trial reveals first look at body-worn camera footage of Arvada police officer’s death
The final moments of Dillon Vakoff life rapidly unraveled from what appeared to be a routine family custody dispute to street bedlam. Before the Arvada Police officer’s body-worn camera went dark, his own voice revealed that he was trying to make sense of the growing confusion. “Who’s Lexi? Come talk to me please,” were among…
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Murder trial of accused Arvada cop killer begins
Opening statements in the trial of a man accused of killing a popular Arvada police officer during a nasty domestic dispute started after two days of jury selection in a Jefferson County courtroom on Thursday. Dillon Vakoff, 27, was shot and killed in the line of duty Sept. 11, 2022. Sonny Almanza, 32, is charged…
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Trial for man accused of killing Arvada officer starts Tuesday
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…
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Denver Police Department honors fallen officers for National Police Week
For National Police Week, the Denver Police Department held a ceremony Thursday to recognize the 77 officers in its history who have died in the line of duty. Department officials marked the occasion on a sunny morning, in a brief respite before afternoon rain, with a 21-gun salute, a release of white doves, a “roll…
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Plea entry hearing delayed again for man accused of killing Arvada police officer
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Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save A plea entry hearing has been delayed until May for the man accused of killing an Arvada police officer last September. The Jefferson County district court judge overseeing the case granted a two-month extension Friday to give a new attorney for the suspect time to…
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Arraignment delayed for man accused of killing Arvada police officer
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Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save An arraignment for the man accused of killing an Arvada police officer last September has been rescheduled to March 31. A public defender for Sonny Almanza, 31, said in a brief hearing Friday that Almanza expects to hire private attorneys for his case. Judge Russell…