Why Do We Lose The Best?
Arvada Police Officer Dillon Michael Vakoff was murdered on September 11, 2022. He was just 27 years old. I had the great honor of standing watch over his memorial this past week and would...
Category: Colorado
The Day After Arvada Lost Its Innocence
Today was my first day standing watch over the memorial for Arvada Police Officer Dillon Vakoff. If I’m being honest it was a struggle. Fifteen months ago I was at this same police department,...
Take It Easy, The Journey Is Just Beginning
I transferred from a community college in Anchorage, Alaska to UCLA my Junior year. One of my favorite experiences was attending football games at the Rose Bowl on warm Southern California days. I would...
Arvada Strong Because Good Will Always Triumph
One final thought on my recent time in Denver standing watch over Officer Gordon Beesley’s memorial. As I’ve gotten older I have come to the conclusion that good will always triumph. That does not...
Honoring Those Who Make The Ultimate Sacrifice
9News in Denver contacted me wanting an interview about my time standing watch over the memorial of Officer Gordon Beesley. With the approval of both his family and the Arvada Police Department I agreed....
Rhetoric Matters, We Are Better Than This
A woman stood at a distance from Officer Beesley’s cruiser, crying. I walked out to her and hugged her as she wept on my shoulder. She had dated his best friend. The day it...
The Fragility of Life – Gordon Beesley
I was only in Alaska a week when the call came. On June 21, 2021 Officer Gordon Beesley was murdered in Arvada. I had joined the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation as a volunteer when...
