FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crashed in an accident that killed the pilot and a trooper on board, after they responded to a gunbattle between police and a suspect who fired on officers from multiple rooftops over almost two hours, authorities said Thursday.
The confrontation began when law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence call around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Flagstaff Police Chief Sean Connolly said during a news conference.
A man armed with a semiautomatic long rifle opened fire on the officers and victim and an almost two-hour shootout ensued, with the unidentified suspect “hopping from roof to roof” in the neighborhood while shooting at officers, Connolly said.
The man was brought into custody at about 10:20 p.m., around the time the helicopter accident occurred, Connolly said. He did not provide information on how the helicopter crashed but said it had been providing officers on the ground with an aerial view of what was happening.
The suspect suffered nonfatal gunshot wounds and was being treated at Flagstaff Medical Center, officials said.
No one else was injured. The names of the pilot and trooper, who was also a paramedic, were not released.
“Our city and our state have experienced a significant loss. We are part of this community,” Connolly said.
The trooper who was killed had joined the Department of Public Safety in 2022, according to a Fraternal Order of Police organization in Arizona. The helicopter pilot had been hired in May 2021 and previously served 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, the organization said.
Michael Hunt, president of Arizona Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 32, called the deaths a “devastating moment” for Arizona’s law enforcement community.
“Both the paramedic, and the pilot, a military veteran, made the ultimate sacrifice while supporting the mission,” Hunt said in a statement.
A ‘giant boom’
Amanda Brewer of Flagstaff said she and her husband heard close to 100 gunshots fired in their neighborhood beginning at around 8:40 p.m. and continuing after the helicopter arrived at about 10 p.m. Brewer heard three rounds of shots fired as the helicopter flew around, including three or four shots as the helicopter was over her house.
Then she could no longer hear the helicopter, there was a “giant boom”, and their house shook. “It was so powerful and so loud,” she said.
The Bell 407 helicopter that was built in 2004 crashed on Flagstaff’s west side, a few miles from Route 66 in a less densely populated area to the north of Brewer’s neighborhood. There was a fire afterward, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Earlier in the night, an emergency alert went out to mobile phones warning of an active shooter and urging people to stay clear of the area. People gathered outside of a gas station watching as dozens of police vehicles lined the streets.
Jasmin Parra, 32, was at home nearby with her family when police told them to stay inside, lock their doors and windows and not answer if anybody knocked, she said.
As the family kept low inside the house, the sound of gunfire got closer and they could hear police trying to talk the gunman down from a rooftop, Parra said.
There were several gunshots just before the house shook with what she thought was the helicopter crash, Parra said.
“Just all these emotions just flooded us because we didn’t know” what was happening, she said.
Trained for high-risk
The helicopter crashed about 50 feet from a BNSF Railway line and spread debris across the tracks, according to the railway. Train traffic was halted overnight at the request of police and resumed Thursday morning, the railway said.
The FAA said it would assist the National Transportation Safety Board in the crash investigation. An email seeking information was sent to the NTSB early Thursday.
The state Department of Public Safety’s Air Rescue Unit is trained for various high-risk situations, including mountain and water rescues.
Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett and members of Arizona’s congressional delegation expressed sympathy for the families of the pilot and trooper.
“Tragic news. Please pray for their families and everyone involved,” said U.S. Rep. Eli Crane, whose district includes Flagstaff.
“Heartbreaking news out of Northern Arizona this morning, and a grim reminder of the dangers law enforcement face,” U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton wrote. “Praying for these officers’ loved ones and the entire Arizona Department of Public Safety.”
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