A Huntington Beach Police Department helicopter crashed landed in the water near the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, killing a pilot and injuring another officer onboard.
According to The Huntington Beach Police Department’s Twitter account, Officer Nicholas Vella, a 14-year veteran of the HBPD, died in the crash. A second officer was injured and is in stable condition. Officer Vella leaves behind a wife and daughter.
There are no reports of what caused the helicopter to crash.
The Huntington Beach Police Department helicopter was responding to a call for service when it crashed. The Huntington Beach Police Department has a contract with the city of Newport Beach to serve the city with air support.
