Man accused of killing Arvada Officer Dillon Vakoff pleads not guilty.
DENVER – The man accused of killing Officer Dillon Vakoff in September of last year during a fight in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Arvada pleaded not guilty to several charges, including first-degree murder of a peace officer with extreme indifference, in court Tuesday.
When Vakoff arrived to the scene to talk to the mother of the children, Almanza III pulled up to the apartment complex’s parking lot and a fight ensued. During the fight, Almanza brought a rifle into the parking lot and fired, striking a woman and Vakoff.
Almanza told authorities that the mother of his children had texted and called him with threatening messages that indicated"she and other members of her family were on their way to Arvada and were intending to begin an altercation with Sonny in order to receive ," according to the affidavit. As RP continued driving westbound on W. 51st Avenue nearing the apartment, Almanza said he saw several vehicles from family of the mother of his children. Some people were standing outside the vehicles, including the mother's sisters and brother.
At that point, Almanza said he didn't see anybody else fighting. Believing it was still happening out of view, he walked around the outside of the building with the rifle's barrel pointing up, according to the affidavit.
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