Newport Beach CA Feb 20, 2022 One police officer was killed and another was injured after a police helicopter crashed on Saturday into the water near Newport Beach in California.

The helicopter crashed at about 6:30 p.m. local time, as two officers from the Huntington Beach Police Department were responding to nearby Newport Beach, the department said.

“The helicopter crashed for reasons that we’re not certain of,” Huntington Beach Police Chief Eric Parra told reporters late Saturday. “One of the officers, a 16-year veteran, was extricated and he went to a local hospital, or nearby hospital, where he is in critical condition, but he is doing okay. The other officer, a 14-year veteran, unfortunately, and tragically passed away as a result of injuries sustained during the crash.”

Officials identified the officer killed as Nicholas Vella, 44. The second officer was not 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 on what potentially caused the aircraft to become disabled,” Parra said.

No further investigation is currently available.

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