Suspect indicted after DPS trooper, pilot died in helicopter crash while responding to shooting

PHOENIX — A Coconino County Grand Jury has indicted a man on two counts of first-degree murder after two Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers died while assisting police during a shooting last week.

Those charges are part of 60 total indictments against Terrell Storey in connection with the Feb. 4 incident, during which a helicopter crash killed Hunter Bennett, a DPS trooper and paramedic, and Robert Skankey, a DPS helicopter pilot.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a fire broke out after the crash. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are jointly investigating the cause of the fire.

Bennett and Skankey were part of an aerial crew deployed to assist the Flagstaff Police Department after Storey allegedly opened fire on law enforcement.

What happened before DPS troopers killed in line of duty?

Before the fatal helicopter crash, the Flagstaff police arrived to a neighborhood north of Route 66 between Mark Lane and Thompson Road around 8:30 p.m. last Wednesday.

Storey was armed with a long rifle, and he allegedly opened fire on responding officers as well as the victim, according to police. For the next two hours, he was allegedly firing and moving across rooftops in the area.

Storey is also accused of victimizing numerous other people, including neighors and 25 law enforcement officers who responded to the scene, according to a Friday announcement from Coconino County officials.

“Our hearts remain with the families of Hunter Bennett and Robert Skankey, and with all the families impacted by this incident,” County Attorney Ammon Barker said in the announcement. “We are committed to pursuing this case with the diligence and care it requires.”

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