Affidavit: Custody dispute led to fatal shooting of Arvada Police Officer Dillon Vakoff

A newly released arrest affidavit says a 31-year-old man accused of killing an Arvada police officer told investigators he didn't know law enforcement was at the scene when he started shooting. Sonny Almanza faces charges in the Sept. 11 murder of 27-year-old Officer Dillon Vakoff.

The arrest papers say police were called to a home in the 6700 block of West 51st Avenue at about 2 a.m. because of a custody fight over two children. Someone called to say the mother of those children was intoxicated as she was on her way to pick them up. She had allegedly broken up with Almanza two weeks earlier.

Officers showed up and were talking with the mother when a fight broke out. Police say that's when Almanza fired a rifle. Almanza said he thought he was shooting at a relative of the mother but instead hit Vakoff.

Almanza is facing several charges that include first-degree murder.

Vakoff had been with the Arvada Police Department since 2017.