Executive Summary
- Terrell Storey was indicted on 60 counts, including two charges of first-degree felony murder.
- The charges stem from a February 4 standoff in Flagstaff that resulted in a fatal DPS helicopter crash.
- Trooper Hunter Bennett and Pilot Robert Skankey were killed in the crash; the cause remains under federal investigation.
- Storey is accused of firing on officers from rooftops during a domestic violence response.
A Coconino County grand jury has indicted a 50-year-old Arizona man on two counts of first-degree felony murder and dozens of other charges following a standoff that resulted in the fatal crash of a Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter. Authorities confirmed the indictment on Friday, linking the charges to the deaths of a pilot and a trooper during a protracted law enforcement operation in Flagstaff.
According to the Coconino County Attorney’s Office, the defendant, Terrell Storey, faces a total of 60 criminal counts stemming from the February 4 incident. Police reports state that Storey engaged officers in a gun battle lasting nearly two hours, allegedly firing a semiautomatic long rifle from multiple rooftops within a residential neighborhood. The indictment lists 25 law enforcement officers and local residents as victims of aggravated assault, endangerment, and burglary.
Flagstaff Police Chief Sean Connolly stated that the confrontation began when officers responded to a domestic violence call. As police interviewed a victim in the front yard, Storey allegedly opened fire from the rear of the residence before moving between rooftops. During the tactical response, the DPS helicopter Ranger 56 crashed while maneuvering near the scene, killing Trooper Paramedic Hunter Bennett, 28, and Pilot Aviation Supervisor Robert Skankey, 61.
The indictment charges Storey with felony murder regarding the deaths of the flight crew, though it does not specify whether he fired directly at the aircraft. Federal authorities are currently investigating the cause of the crash. Public flight-path data indicates the helicopter had slowed to a near-hover approximately 1,000 feet above the scene before going down.
Storey was captured around the time of the crash and hospitalized for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker stated that Storey is being held on a $5 million bond, with an arraignment anticipated for February 23. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Legal and Investigative Outlook
The prosecution’s pursuit of felony murder charges highlights the application of legal statutes that hold defendants liable for deaths occurring during the commission of a dangerous felony, regardless of direct intent against the specific victims. As the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues its technical analysis of the helicopter crash, the judicial process will likely center on establishing the causal chain between the defendant’s alleged armed resistance and the environmental or operational conditions that resulted in the loss of the aircrew.
