Arya News - A police helicopter crashed in Arizona during a shootout between officers and a suspect near Route 66.
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A police helicopter crashed in Arizona during a shootout between officers and a suspect near Route 66.
The helicopter attended the scene on Wednesday night after reports of several gunshots being fired between Mark Lane and S Thompson Road in Flagstaff.
Footage of the incident, posted online, showed the helicopter falling and crashing to the ground.
A witness said the aircraft “spun out of control” and questioned whether it had been shot at. Amanda Brewer described hearing five gunshots before calling the police.
Officers rushed to the scene within minutes, with the witness describing a further 15 to 20 shots.
A witness described seeing a fire in the forest behind her house following the crash
Ms Brewer said she heard the helicopter flying over her house at around 10pm on Wednesday, with more gunshots being fired later in the evening.
“You could hear the blades going,” she told local outlet 13 News. “Then there was a very large crash – it shook the house. It was startling.”
She added there was a large fire in the forest behind her house following the crash, and described hearing more gunshots late into the evening.
Police have not revealed what led to the shooting or the condition of the suspect. They said no officers were injured, but did not confirm whether those in the helicopter had survived.
In a post on social media at around 10.15pm, local police warned residents not to leave their homes.
They wrote on Facebook at the time: “There is an active officer-involved shooting investigation going on in the neighbourhood north of W Route 66, between Mark Lane and S Thompson Rd.
“Please avoid the area and find an alternative route of travel. There will be an expected police presence for the next several hours. There is no ongoing threat to the public.”
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