DENVER (KDVR) — Officer Dillon Vakoff, who was killed in the line of duty Sunday morning, will be laid to rest on Friday in Lafayette.
The service will begin at 10 a.m. at Flatirons Community Church and is open to the public. The church is located at 355 W. South Boulder Rd. but the church’s parking lot is not publicly open. Other options include the RTD Lafayette park-n-ride, located at 1080 South Public Rd. or The District, located at 400 W. South Boulder Rd.
The service will be livestreamed on FOX31 NOW.
Vakoff was shot and killed while trying to break up an agitated group during a confrontation in Arvada early Sunday morning. Sonny Almanza is accused of shooting Vakoff and another woman present during the altercation.
Officers returned fire and struck Almanza, and both he and the woman were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Vakoff was taken to Lutheran Hospital where he later died.
Who worked together to plan the service
Crystal McCoy, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is one of the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation’s members who helped make arrangements for Officer Vakoff’s funeral service.
“This is one little thing that we can do to help everyone that’s impacted by this. To be there for them and get these things done so they can be together. This is sad and tragic, it always seems to happen to the best of the best,” McCoy said.
More than 60 people from around Colorado are helping plan the route, the service and even collect donations to help Officer Vakoff’s family pay for his burial.
There are sheriff’s deputies, police officers, firefighters and others just trying to help Vakoff’s family deal with their tragic loss.
Lakewood Police Department Public Information Officer John Romero is also helping the foundation make funeral plans.
“When we have an incident like this, it’s important for us to support each other any way that we can,” Romero said.
Hundreds of people usually attend funerals for officers who are killed in the line of duty. It is a chance for the community to say thank you and goodbye. But planning a funeral for so many takes a lot of planning.
“It means that we are setting up a procession route, we are finding a procession route for the funeral, we are also coordinating who s going to attend,” the foundation’s president Jared Rowlison said.
Donations can be made to Vakoff’s family through the Colorado Fallen Hero Fund.