ap

Skip to content

Defendant guilty in 2022 killing of Arvada police Officer Dillon Vakoff

Charges against Sonny Thomas Almanza III included first-degree murder of a peace officer with extreme indifference

A memorial sits outside the Arvada Police Department in honor of Officer Dillon Vakoff. (Photo by Colette Bordelon)
A memorial sits outside the Arvada Police Department in honor of Officer Dillon Vakoff. (Photo by Colette Bordelon)
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
Getting your player ready...

By Stephanie Butzer, Denver7

A man accused of killing an Arvada police officer in 2022 amid a violent family disturbance has been found guilty on all counts by a jury in Jefferson County.

Sonny Thomas Almanza III was standing trial in connection with the deadly shooting of Officer Dillon Vakoff, 27, and nonfatal shooting of a woman early Sept. 11, 2022.

The jury reached a verdict Thursday, one day after prosecutors and the defense presented their closing arguments. They found Almanza guilty on all counts, which included first-degree murder of a peace officer with extreme indifference, first-degree murder after deliberation, first-degree murder with extreme indifference, attempted murder, second-degree assault, possessing a weapon as a felon, possessing a large-capacity magazine during a crime and trespassing.

Sentencing was set for 2:30 p.m. Dec. 14.

Read more at .

Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.

RevContent Feed

More in ap