A Colorado community is mourning the death of a young police officer who was gunned down in the line of duty on Sunday.
Officer Dillon Vakoff, 27, was fatally shot while responding to a family disturbance call in Arvada, a suburb of Denver, Colorado.
‘THINGS LIKE THIS SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN’: 9/11 SURVIVOR SADDENED BY IGNORANCE TODAY
“Dillon is an example of everything that is good about a police officer,” Arvada Police Chief Link Strate said at a news conference, according to 9News.
Vakoff and another officer responded to the intersection of West 51st Avenue and Marshall Street in Arvada, Colorado, just before 2 a.m. and tried to separate several people, who were described as “belligerent and uncooperative.”
A person began shooting, hitting a female in the crowd. As shots between the officers and the suspect were exchanged, Vakoff was hit. He was tended to at the scene and transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The shooting suspect was also shot at the scene. He was taken into police custody and is being treated at a local hospital. He is expected to survive.
The female victim was also transported to the hospital and is expected to survive.
Vakoff’s death marks the second Arvada police officer killed in action in a little more than a year. Officer Gordon Beesley died while responding to a shooting in Olde Town Arvada in June 2021.
Bill Troyanos said he witnessed last summer’s shooting and expressed heartache after hearing of Vakoff’s death.
“This kind of rips the Band-Aid off that and brings up a lot of bad memories of that day,” Troyanos said. “It’s just so sad — 27 years old. I can’t even imagine someone’s life being cut that short.”
Cooper London called Vakoff “one of the good guys,” saying she knew him personally.
“He was full of perseverance and courage, and he would never back down,” London said. “People paint police officers and law enforcement in such a bad light.”
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued a statement following the news of Vakoff’s death, saying: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of Arvada officer Dillon Michael Vakoff who was tragically killed in the line of duty while responding to a call. We will continue to monitor this situation.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Before joining the Arvada Police Department, Vakoff served in the Air Force for six years. He graduated in 2012 from Arvada’s Ralston Valley High School.
The Arvada Police Department said a criminal investigation is underway.
