One Huntington Beach Police officer was killed and another was injured.
A police officer was killed and another was injured after a police helicopter went overboard on Saturday near Newport Beach, California.
The helicopter crashed around 6.30 pm. By local time, two officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department were responding to nearby Newport Beach, the department said.
"The helicopter crashed for reasons we are not sure about," Huntington Beach Police Chief Eric Parra told reporters late Saturday. “One of the officers, a 16-year veteran, was fired and went to a local hospital, or a nearby hospital, where he is in critical condition, but is doing well. The other officer, a 14-year veteran, unfortunately Tragicly passed away as a result of injuries sustained during the accident.
Authorities have identified the slain officer as 44-year-old Nicolas Vela. The other officer has not been identified.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Orange County Sheriff's Department's major accident reconstruction team are investigating the incident.
"I don't have details as to what likely caused the plane to become incapacitated," Para said.