An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crashed while responding to an active shooting situation Wednesday night, killing both people onboard, police said.
The chopper went down just north of Prescott Valley in Yavapai County around 10:15 p.m., as it provided air support to Flagstaff Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, authorities said in a statement on Thursday.
“Tragically, during the incident, the helicopter crashed, killing both the pilot and the trooper/paramedic on board,” Flagstaff Sgt. Kameron Lee said.
Their names have not been released.
The trooper-paramedic joined DPS in June 2022 while the the pilot, a 10-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was was hired in May 2021, the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police, told AZFamily.
The gunfire that prompted their response erupted in an area north of Historic Route 66, between Thompson Street and Mark Lane. The suspected shooter suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds in the incident and was taken into custody, Lee said. No one else was injured.
U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton mourned the first responders’ deaths in a statement in wake of the incident.
“Heartbreaking news out of northern Arizona this morning, and a grim reminder of the dangers law enforcement face,” he wrote. “Praying for these officers’ loved ones and the entire Arizona Department of Public Safety.”
It was still unclear on Thursday what caused the helicopter crash and whether the shooting had anything to do with it. The Federal Aviation Administration has said it will assist the National Transportation Safety Board in the crash investigation.
With News Wire Services