On Thursday, May 19, at 8 a.m. APD held its annual Fallen Heroes honor watch and wreath ceremony outside Arvada City Hall. After the ceremony, the Honor Guard conducted a ceremonial watched over the wreath until 12 p.m. with a changing of the guard every 20 minutes. Councilmembers, City leaders and other community members were in attendance.
Annual Tribute to Fallen Heroes
National Police Week occurs every May, and in 2022, was commemorated with live, in-person events during the week of May 11–17. The National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum in Washington D.C. held ceremonies, including the 34th Annual Candlelight Vigil, to honor the fallen officers whose names have recently been added to the Memorial.
This year, members of the Arvada Police Department and the family of Officer Gordon Beesley traveled to Washington for the ceremonies, as Gordon's name was added to the memorial.
National Law Enforcement Week was established in 1962. Events across the country honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Arvada Fallen Officers
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W. Michael Northey
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Officer Northey was killed after being struck by a car while making an arrest in 1979. Shortly after his death, the W. Michael Northey Foundation was established to assist officers in need and provide scholarships to students in Arvada pursuing a degree in higher education.
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Robert Beghtol
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Officer Beghtol died in 1961 during Scuba Diving Unit practice at the lake near 60th and Tennyson. The Arvada Police training facility, the Beghtol Building, is named in his honor.
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Gordon Beesley
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Officer Gordon Beesley was shot in the line of duty on June 21, 2021.
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Dillon Vakoff
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Officer Dillon Vakoff was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 11, 2022.
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