Family connected to disturbance speaks after Arvada officer is killed in shooting

New details emerged on Sunday night of what happened when a beloved Arvada police officer was shot and killed while trying to defuse a domestic situation early that morning. It was 27-year-old Officer Dillon Vakoff who died at a hospital after the overnight shooting, in spite of efforts by another officer, EMTs and medical staff to save him.

"Dillon is an example about everything that is good about a police officer," said Chief Link Strate during a press conference. Vakoff was also a six-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

All through the day Sunday, people arrived outside of Arvada Police headquarters to bring flowers and mementos. Many were tearful. The police SUV parked out was nearly covered. "We need to stand behind the Arvada Police department. I mean they lost a great guy today," said Randy Olson, himself a former police officer before leaving the force in Westminster years ago due to disability.

"These guys are well trained, and they care a lot. And now it's getting even harder," Olson added.

Vakoff and another officer arrived at a domestic dispute that had spilled out of a home in the 6700 block of West 51st Avenue at about 2 a.m. 

Family at the home says it started with a dispute over children. Earlier in the day on Saturday, they had gone to a home where they took two children they believed were not being cared for properly with a babysitter for the child's mother. Late that night, they say two carloads of people showed up and knocked down their door and began beating them. In the home was the child's father. The dispute spilled out onto the driveway and street in front of the home. 

"They arrived to a chaotic scene with multiple people in the street," said Strate of the two officers.

Family says the father fired. A woman who had come over to the home was hit as well as officer Vakoff. Police say they exchanged gunfire with the suspect, and he was shot. The other Arvada officer tried to save Vakoff, but he died at the hospital. The woman and the suspect are both expected to survive. At last word, the suspect was in the hospital. Police consider it a murder investigation.

Outside the police department, people were also remembering Officer Gordon Beesley, who was killed in an ambush in Olde Town in June of last year. 

"That loss in itself was tragic. Then to get hit again with this young kid our country and now is serving our community, it's sad; it really is truly sad," Arvada resident Scott Elder said. "Hopefully, somebody will look over all of them during this hard time."