Sonny Thomas Almanza appears in court for deadly shooting of Arvada police officer

Sonny Thomas Almanza appeared in court Wednesday for the deadly shooting of 27-year-old Arvada Police Officer Dillon Vakoff. Almanza was arrested late Sunday evening. Vakoff was shot and killed while trying to defuse a domestic situation early that morning

He is facing charges of first-degree murder with extreme indifference, criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, child abuse and crime of violence. 

Detectives said that Almanza, 31, was involved in a shooting with Vakoff who died at a hospital after the overnight shooting, in spite of efforts by another officer, EMTs and medical staff to save him.

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

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. 

Family says the father, later identified as Almanza, fired. A woman who had come over to the home was hit as well as Officer Vakoff. Police say they exchanged gunfire with Almanza and he was shot. The other Arvada officer tried to save Vakoff, but he died at the hospital. The woman and Almanza are both expected to survive. 

Almanza remains in custody at the Jefferson County Jail without bond.