NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—A Huntington Beach Police Department helicopter crashed into shallow water in Newport Bay on Feb. 19, resulting in one officer being critically injured and the other officer dead, according to authorities. “This is a difficult night for all of us,” Huntington Beach Police Chief Eric Parra said during a Feb. 19 news conference. “I ask for your prayers and support as we support our officer’s family and as we continue to grieve through this.” The officer who died was 44-year-old Nicholas Vella. A 14-year veteran of the Huntington Beach Police Department, Vella was “truly dedicated to his job,” Parra said. Vella was honored with a midnight procession where fellow officers escorted his body to the Orange County coroner’s office. He is survived by his wife and a daughter. Video footage from KCAL9 shows a group of lifeguards, police officers, and bystanders—who jumped in the water to help—pulling out …
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