• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • The power of teamwork
      Stay awake and alert on the job
      The worst rank in law enforcement
      Firearms maintenance
      Why fries need salt
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • “I don’t feel like a hero. I feel like I did my job”
        Louisiana wildlife officer rescues girl trapped underneath boat
        Detroit law enforcement agencies continue fight against freeway...
        Law enforcement agencies prepare for civil unrest following leaked...
        Arizona troopers find nearly 40 pounds of fentanyl pills and cocaine...
    • Labor
      • Illinois State Police announce lateral training program with added...
        The “great resignation” brings staffing troubles to Missouri law...
        NYPD overtime expected to surpass budget by over $142 million to...
        Portland police shut down cold case unit to reinforce homicide...
        Living in the ashes
    • Tech
      • Hacker group steals data from multiple law enforcement data systems...
        Illinois police unveil new technology, more body cameras to promote...
        High-tech policing
        Open-source investigations
        Virginia lawmakers lift ban on the use of facial recognition...
    • Training
      • “The hidden danger is the water”
        Weapon retention
        Developing trauma-informed training and drills for K–12 schools
        Crime prevention training
        So you want to be a civilian firearms trainer?
    • Policy
      • Ohio resolution asks lawmakers to ride along with police to gain...
        New Jersey governor proposes police licensing plan to boost...
        New York court suspends familial DNA searching by law enforcement
        New Jersey Supreme Court weighs in on police marijuana impairment...
        Court says man arrested for making fake P.D. Facebook page did not...
    • Health/Wellness
      • Police departments look to expand chaplain programs to provide...
        What anxiety is — and what not to do about it
        Supporting a partner in crisis
        Spiritual resilience
        Overcoming relationship communication challenges
    • Community
      • Statement of Sonoma County Sheriff Candidate Dave Edmonds in reply to...
        Pennsylvania police introduce civilian response team to answer...
        LGBTQ police officers allowed to participate in Denver PrideFest...
        California police department helps pay for families’ groceries as a...
        “I thought he was going to die”: 6-year-old calls police to save...
    • Offbeat
      • Oops, wrong number! South Carolina drug dealer arrested after...
        Port Authority officers capture missing puppy that journeyed from...
        Nevada woman tries to fool police with fake license plate using...
        Maine police arrest man hiding under a blanket in ghost disguise
        Texas burglar mows the lawn before fleeing police
    • We Remember
      • A living legacy
        Not in vain
        Honoring Fallen Heroes
        Florida law enforcement, legislators weigh whether to classify...
        National Law Enforcement Museum offers free Saturday admission for...
  • On the Job
    • “I don’t feel like a hero. I feel like I did my job”
      Louisiana wildlife officer rescues girl trapped underneath boat
      Detroit law enforcement agencies continue fight against freeway...
      Law enforcement agencies prepare for civil unrest following leaked...
      Arizona troopers find nearly 40 pounds of fentanyl pills and cocaine...
  • Labor
    • Illinois State Police announce lateral training program with added...
      The “great resignation” brings staffing troubles to Missouri law...
      NYPD overtime expected to surpass budget by over $142 million to...
      Portland police shut down cold case unit to reinforce homicide...
      Living in the ashes
  • Tech
    • Hacker group steals data from multiple law enforcement data systems...
      Illinois police unveil new technology, more body cameras to promote...
      High-tech policing
      Open-source investigations
      Virginia lawmakers lift ban on the use of facial recognition...
  • Training
    • “The hidden danger is the water”
      Weapon retention
      Developing trauma-informed training and drills for K–12 schools
      Crime prevention training
      So you want to be a civilian firearms trainer?
  • Policy
    • Ohio resolution asks lawmakers to ride along with police to gain...
      New Jersey governor proposes police licensing plan to boost...
      New York court suspends familial DNA searching by law enforcement
      New Jersey Supreme Court weighs in on police marijuana impairment...
      Court says man arrested for making fake P.D. Facebook page did not...
  • Health/Wellness
    • Police departments look to expand chaplain programs to provide...
      What anxiety is — and what not to do about it
      Supporting a partner in crisis
      Spiritual resilience
      Overcoming relationship communication challenges
  • Community
    • Statement of Sonoma County Sheriff Candidate Dave Edmonds in reply to...
      Pennsylvania police introduce civilian response team to answer...
      LGBTQ police officers allowed to participate in Denver PrideFest...
      California police department helps pay for families’ groceries as a...
      “I thought he was going to die”: 6-year-old calls police to save...
  • Offbeat
    • Oops, wrong number! South Carolina drug dealer arrested after...
      Port Authority officers capture missing puppy that journeyed from...
      Nevada woman tries to fool police with fake license plate using...
      Maine police arrest man hiding under a blanket in ghost disguise
      Texas burglar mows the lawn before fleeing police
  • We Remember
    • A living legacy
      Not in vain
      Honoring Fallen Heroes
      Florida law enforcement, legislators weigh whether to classify...
      National Law Enforcement Museum offers free Saturday admission for...
  • Between the Lines
    • Persecution of the LEO is Classic Schadenfreude
      The Rule of Law is Worthless Without Order
      School policing: a paradox of the defund movement
      Defending the honor of the LE profession – finally!
      The dichotomy of the defund movement: reality setting in
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

We Remember

Huntington Beach police, community continue to mourn officer who perished in helicopter crash

APB Team Published March 7, 2022 @ 10:00 am PST

iStock.com/Liudmila Chernetska

In Huntington Beach, California, police and community members are still devastated by the loss of Officer Nicholas Vella weeks later. The 44-year-old was killed as a passenger of a police helicopter that crashed in Newport Harbor on February 19. Vella was a 16-year law enforcement veteran who had served 14 years with the Huntington Beach Police Department and two years previously with the Laguna Beach Police Department.

Days after his death, on February 22, mourners gathered for a somber procession to honor the fallen officer. A motorcade led by nine police officers escorted the white hearse carrying Vella from the Orange County coroner’s office in Santa Ana to a funeral home in La Habra. And people continued to pay their respects throughout the following days at a makeshift memorial that had been set up in front of the Huntington Beach Police Department.

Huntington Beach Mayor Barbara Delgleize expressed her condolences to the officer’s family and colleagues following the crash.

“This is truly really a heartbreaking time for all of us here in Huntington Beach,” Delgleize said the night of the incident. “First and foremost, I want to say and give our deepest sympathies to the family of Officer Vella. I know I speak on behalf for myself and all of the City Council and the entire city of Huntington Beach when I say we are praying for you, and we are here for you whenever you need.”

Huntington Beach Chief Eric Parra echoed similar sentiments in a statement released by the department.

“There are no words that can express this loss adequately,” he said. “We are deeply grieving for Officer Vella’s family, and as a police department, we grieve as well.”

Vella is survived by his wife, Kristi Tovar, and a teenage daughter.

Officials say the cause of the crash remains unknown. A spokesperson from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration said the investigation could take up to a year to find a conclusive cause.

The Huntington Beach P.D. said it will ground its two other helicopters for an inspection and preliminary investigation before they fly again.

“We will need to have the current aircraft inspected, obviously, to make sure that there’s nothing wrong with those helicopters,” Parra said. “We do regular maintenance — it’s ongoing maintenance — and there’s a schedule that is comprehensive with respect to the maintenance on our helicopters, so I don’t know what occurred, but we’re going to pull those in. They won’t fly until we do the inspection.”

Parra added that Vella was “an officer that was truly dedicated to the job and was doing what he loved doing.”

Police say the helicopter was responding to a “disturbance fight call” in Newport Beach when the pilot radioed that the vehicle was experiencing mechanical issues. The helicopter crashed soon after going nose-down into the water, according to an NTSB spokesperson.

Newport Beach police were on standby with lifeguards and firefighters as the helicopter maneuvered itself into empty water.

Witnesses say emergency responders and bystanders went out into the water immediately. Vella and a second officer were pulled from the wreckage. Vella was pronounced dead at a hospital. The other officer, identified as the pilot, was treated at the hospital and has since been released.

A fundraising campaign has been organized by the police department and its officers association for Vella’s family at porac.org/fundraiser/support-officer-vella-his-family.

A public memorial service has been scheduled for March 8 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Community members and those living in surrounding areas will be able to honor Vella and pay their respects to his survivors and loved ones in person. The service will also be available to watch via livestream on the City of Huntington Beach’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/cityofhb. For more details, visit the Huntington Beach P.D. website at huntingtonbeachca.gov.

Categories: We Remember Tags: ceremony, Orange County, FAA, helicopter crash, Huntington Beach Police Department, Nicholas Vella, Barbara Delgleize, motorcade, Newport Beach, NTSB

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Hacker group steals data from multiple law enforcement data systems with just a username and password
  • Ohio resolution asks lawmakers to ride along with police to gain deeper understanding of law enforcement
  • Illinois State Police announce lateral training program with added incentives to attract candidates
  • “I don’t feel like a hero. I feel like I did my job”
  • New Jersey governor proposes police licensing plan to boost accountability
  • Louisiana wildlife officer rescues girl trapped underneath boat
  • Statement of Sonoma County Sheriff Candidate Dave Edmonds in reply to article in Santa Rosa Press Democrat
  • Oops, wrong number! South Carolina drug dealer arrested after mistakenly texting deputy
  • Police departments look to expand chaplain programs to provide spiritual counseling to traumatized officers
  • Port Authority officers capture missing puppy that journeyed from Brooklyn to New Jersey

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The power of teamwork

The power of teamwork

July 23, 2021

Stay awake and alert on the job

Stay awake and alert on the job

July 20, 2021

The worst rank in law enforcement

The worst rank in law enforcement

July 19, 2021

Firearms maintenance

Firearms maintenance

July 04, 2021

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2022 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close
Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.