Omaha Homicide Suspect Captured by U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Westminster

Denver, CO – The U.S. Marshals Service Colorado Violent Offender Task Force (COVOTF) located and arrested an Omaha homicide suspect shortly after 8:00pm Monday night in Westminster. 

Dak Lam, of Omaha, Nebraska, is wanted by the Omaha Police Department (OPD) on a felony arrest warrant for first-degree murder in connection to the Oct. 12 shooting death of Keah Paljor, 21, of Omaha. According to an OPD media release from Oct. 13, officers responded to a 911 call of a shooting near 29th and T Streets. Upon arrival, Paljor was found in the street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Nebraska Medicine where he died. Lam, 22, was identified by investigators as a suspect in the shooting. A warrant for Lam’s arrest was issued on Oct. 15. 

On Oct. 17, Task Force Officers from OPD’s fugitive unit who are assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service’s Metro Fugitive Task Force in Omaha developed information indicating Lam may have fled to and be hiding in the Denver metro area. That information was relayed to the U.S. Marshals Service’s Colorado Violent Offender Task Force who picked up the investigation here in Colorado. After multiple weeks of surveillance and investigation, COVOTF members observed a rental black Ford Taurus sedan with Nebraska license plates pull up to a residence of a known family member of Lam. A person matching Lam’s description was observed exiting the vehicle and going inside, but had their face completely masked with a balaclava. COVOTF investigators were able to identify the renter of the vehicle and connect them to Lam in order to obtain a search warrant for the residence.

Due to the violent nature of the case and the potential of the suspect still being in possession of the firearm used in the homicide, COVOTF investigators requested assistance from the Westminster Police Department’s (WPD) SWAT team in contacting the residence, located near W 136th Ave and Huron Street. WPD SWAT executed the search warrant at the residence where Lam was safely taken into custody. The firearm utilized in the homicide was not located during the course of the arrest.

Lam was transported by Westminster P.D. patrol units to the Adams County Jail where he was booked on the outstanding homicide warrant from Nebraska. He is currently awaiting extradition.

The success of this arrest represents a culmination of extensive cooperative investigative efforts between the U.S. Marshals Metro Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Marshals Colorado Violent Offender Task Force, Omaha Police Department, Westminster Police Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Lakewood Police Department, Boulder Police Department, Douglas County (CO) Sheriff’s Office, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. 

The Colorado Violent Offender Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional fugitive task force that targets the most violent offenders to include those wanted for murder, assault, sex offenses, and other serious offenses throughout the state and country.  Nationally, the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, eight regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.          

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