FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A fatal aviation accident involving an Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter claimed the lives of both its pilot and a trooper during a high-stakes response to a violent and prolonged gunfire incident, officials reported Thursday.
The confrontation unfolded after law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence incident shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Flagstaff Police Chief Sean Connolly detailed that when officers were engaging with the victim in the front yard of a residence, the suspect initiated gunfire using a semiautomatic long rifle from the rear of the home.
This marked the onset of a nearly two-hour long armed standoff in a residential area. Connolly described how the unidentified suspect moved between rooftops, continuously discharging fire at officers while also directing shots into nearby homes, effectively placing the neighborhood "under siege."
According to Chief Connolly, the gunbattle ended with the suspect’s apprehension around 10:20 p.m., coinciding approximately with the time the DPS helicopter crash occurred. The helicopter had been assisting the police by providing real-time aerial surveillance of the complex and dynamic scene on the ground, though specific details about the cause of the crash have not been released.
Authorities confirmed the suspect, who was described by Connolly as a career criminal, sustained nonfatal gunshot injuries and was undergoing treatment at Flagstaff Medical Center. No additional injuries were reported among other residents or law enforcement personnel.
The two fallen officers have been identified by various sources within the law enforcement community. Pilot Robert Skanky, a Kingman, Arizona resident and U.S. Marine Corps veteran with ten years of prior military service, was employed with the Department of Public Safety since May 2021. The trooper, whose name has been withheld, joined the DPS in 2022 and was also a trained paramedic.
Michael Hunt, president of Arizona Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 32, honored their sacrifice, calling the loss a "devastating moment" for officers statewide and recognizing both men for their dedicated service and ultimate sacrifice during a dangerous mission.
Residents near the scene shared harrowing accounts of the event. Amanda Brewer recounted that close to 100 gunshots were heard beginning shortly after 8:40 p.m., prompting her family to arm themselves and monitor the situation closely via security cameras. She recalled police communications urging the suspect to surrender peacefully before the helicopter arrived.
Moments after the aircraft took flight over the neighborhood, three distinct volleys of gunfire were heard, immediately followed by a sudden and powerful explosion described by Brewer as a "giant boom" that shook nearby homes. The crash took place on Flagstaff's west side, several miles from the iconic Route 66, in a less populated area north of the neighborhood. The Federal Aviation Administration reported a subsequent fire at the crash site.
Earlier that evening, an emergency alert had been issued to local mobile devices warning of an active shooter situation and advising the public to avoid the location. Witnesses, such as Jasmin Parra, who was sheltering with her family, described police instructions to remain indoors with secured doors and windows while officers attempted to negotiate with the suspect from a rooftop.
Parra reported that as the gunfire escalated nearby, followed closely by the helicopter crash, a surge of emotions enveloped those confined indoors uncertain of the evolving crisis outside.
The helicopter collision occurred in proximity to a BNSF Railway line, where debris scattered across the tracks. As a result, train operations were temporarily halted overnight at law enforcement’s request and resumed the following morning.
The aircraft involved was a Bell 407 model constructed in 2004, currently under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, which dispatched four investigators to the crash site on Thursday.
The DPS Air Rescue Unit members are equipped and trained to manage critical operations including mountain and aquatic rescues, highlighting the operational risks they face regularly.
State leaders, including Governor Katie Hobbs, Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett, and congressional representatives, publicly extended condolences to the families of the deceased and emphasized the enduring respect for their bravery and service.
Governor Hobbs remarked, "Their bravery will never be forgotten. We stand with their families, loved ones, and DPS colleagues."