Arizona DPS helicopter crashes while responding to shooting, killing both on board
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An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter went down Wednesday night while it was responding to a shooting, killing both people on board.
The helicopter was assisting the Flagstaff Police Department with an active shooter situation in the area when it crashed, AZDPS said in a statement.
The pilot and the trooper-paramedic on board were both killed, AZDPS said. Their identities are not being released at this time.
It was not immediately clear how or why the helicopter crashed and whether the shooting had anything to do with the crash. AZDPS did not provide further information when asked about the circumstances of the shooting and the crash.
Before the crash, law enforcement officers were involved in a shooting with the suspect, AZDPS said.
The suspect has been taken into custody and suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds, the statement said. No one else was injured.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the helicopter was a Bell 407 and crashed near Flagstaff at around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into the incident with an assist from the AZDPS’ major incident division and the FAA.
