ARVADA, Colo. — The man charged with the murder of Arvada Police Officer Dillon Vakoff was set a bond of $15 million cash only on Thursday, in part because of a recorded phone call he made from jail in which he claimed he would delay proceedings as long as possible if released.
The Colorado State Supreme Court ruled last week that people accused of first-degree murder must be eligible for bond, which prompted Thursday's hearing for Sonny Almanza, who's been held without bond since the fatal shooting on Sept. 11, 2022.
During the hearing, Arvada Police Chief Ed Brady and Arvada Officer Megan Esslinger, who was Dillon's girlfriend, made pleas for the highest bond possible.
"My No. 1 priority when I put this uniform is keeping people safe," Esslinger said. "When you say this defendant can get out on bond, I fear for their safety."
She asked for no bond, knowing that was not an option given the recent ruling, but refused provide an amount of bond she would like to see: "I refuse to give the court a dollar amount because Dillon's life is priceless."
Prosecutors asked for a $10 million bond and said that Almanza had at least seven prior instances where he failed to show up to court.
They also shared that in recent phone call from jail, Almanza expressed "excitement" about the bond hearing and told the person over the phone to hit up people on Instagram to ask them for money. He also said during that call that if released, he would drag out the court process as long as possible.
This state Supreme Court ruling last week came after lawmakers in 2020 repealed the death penalty. The state's highest court said because there is no longer a capital punishment for first-degree murder, suspects must be eligible for bond.
Esslinger said at the hearing she was angry at the state legislature for allowing things to get to this point and suggested that they need a "reality check."
Dillon's aunt, Terry Vakoff, read a statement from Dillon's mother.
"The only comfort I found was that my son's killer was in jail and he could not do that to someone else," Dillon's mother wrote in the statement, as she expressed concerns about what would happen if Almanza was released.
The judge ultimately set bond at $15 million cash only with multiple conditions, including GPS monitoring if he's released and random drug testing and compliance with any protection orders currently in place.
The shooting happened around 1:45 a.m. Sept. 11, when Vakoff and another officer responded to a family disturbance on West 51st Avenue near the intersection with Marshall Street.
When the officers responded, they found a chaotic scene with people in the street. While the officers tried to separate "belligerent and uncooperative" people, Almanza fired shots that hit a woman, police said.
The officers and Almanza exchanged gunfire. Almanza shot Vakoff and was also shot, police said. A woman was also injured.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Investigations & Crime