GOLDEN, Colo. — As the trial into the fatal shooting of Arvada Police Officer Dillon Vakoff entered its sixth day in Jefferson County District Court, the man at the center of the case took the stand Wednesday and claimed self-defense.
“I was just scared," Sonny Almanza testified. "Scared for myself. Scared for the people I was with. I just wanted to keep myself and my family protected.”
Almanza faces a charge of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Vakoff on Sept. 11, 2022. Vakoff was responding to a family fight and tried to stop the conflict as Almanza exited an apartment with an AR-15.
Almanza testified on Wednesday that he fired one shot into the air in an attempt to stop the fight and then fired a shot toward a woman who was running toward him. That woman suffered a gunshot injury.
Almanza also testified that he fired shots toward Vakoff but claimed he thought Vakoff was another man named Jerry Lopez who was part of the conflict.
“I thought it was Jerry who was shooting me, so I just turned and reacted,” Almanza said.
“I didn't know it was a police officer, and I thought I was being attacked,” Almanza said on the stand to his attorney.
During cross examination, prosecutors pointed out that Almanza fired more shots at Vakoff after hitting him the first time.
“You made seven independent decisions to pull the trigger, seven more times,” one of the prosecutors said to Almanza.
Almanza testified that he didn’t remember firing multiple shots, but body camera video admitted as evidence in the trial showed the incident as prosecutors described it.
Late Wednesday afternoon, prosecutors began closing arguments.
Vakoff was 27 years old when he was killed on duty and in his third year with the Arvada Police Department.
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