In memory of Arvada Police Officer Dillon Michael Vakoff | Arvada Police Department, Colorado/Facebook
In memory of Arvada Police Officer Dillon Michael Vakoff | Arvada Police Department, Colorado/Facebook
After responding to a call for a domestic disturbance on the 6700 block of West 51st Avenue on Sept. 11, Arvada Police Officer Dillon Vakoff was killed in the line of duty.
A suspect fired shots at officers early Sunday morning, hitting both a woman and Vakoff. Officers responded to the scene shortly afterward, where they found a chaotic area. After being transported to Lutheran Hospital, Vakoff died of his injuries.
During a press conference on Sunday morning, Arvada Police Chief Link Strate addressed the loss of one of his officers.
“Dillon is an example of everything that is good that is a police officer,” Strate said in his statement.
Vakoff was a Ralston Valley High graduate and a resident of Arvada, a KDVR report said. Prior to joining the Arvada Police Department in 2019, he served six years in the U.S. Air Force, attaining the rank of staff sergeant. By all reports, he was an honorable officer in very good standing with the department.
Donations can be made in Officer Vakoff's memory to the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation's website at bit.ly/OfficerVakoffDonate.
The Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation is helping organize a memorial for Vakoff, KDVR reported this week. The memorial is being planned by former Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz, who founded the organization.
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