Two officers killed as Atlanta police helicopter crashes searching for missing child

Two officers killed as Atlanta police helicopter crashes amid search for missing child

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/a...icopter-crashes-amid-search-for-missing-child

"A police helicopter flying low on a nighttime search for a missing 9-year-old child crashed near a major Atlanta intersection overnight, killing the two officers aboard on impact, authorities said early Sunday."

"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution later reported that a missing child was subsequently found unharmed, but Campos said he had no immediate details on the outcome of the search or whether it involved a boy or a girl."

Anxiously waiting for names, I know an APD heli-pilot.

oh this is awful!!

More info at these articles as well:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-atlanta-helicopter-crash-20121104,0,2977983.story

""It's sad. It's tragic ... for someone to lose their lives trying to find a kid, trying to keep another family together," Christian "

""It appeared to hit the utility wire on the way down," Campos told The Associated Press, citing preliminary information. But he emphasized: "We don't know what caused it""


http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/04/us/atlanta-police-chopper-crash/index.html

"It started as a helicopter search for a missing 9-year old boy. About two hours later, the police chopper lay in pieces on a city street, two officers were dead and hundreds of northwest Atlanta residents had no power."

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/19996122/two-officers-killed-in-apd-chopper-crash

"Atlanta Police Chief George Turner spoke briefly during a press conference around 1:20 a.m. Sunday. He said the two aviation officers were flying in the area of Hamilton E. Holmes Drive NW and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive SW looking for a 9-year-old boy who was reported missing around 9 p.m."


WARNING! The next link has a horrific photo of the crash scene

http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/187794/37/Authorities-Police-helicopter-crashes-in-Atlanta

"Police said the boy was found shortly after the crash. They said he had been missing since about 7 p.m. The boy's mother says the boy has run away before."

My gosh, this is awful. Prayers for the family and friends of these officers.

Hamsterdance said:

"Police said the boy was found shortly after the crash. They said he had been missing since about 7 p.m. The boy's mother says the boy has run away before."

Click to expand...

Respectfully snipped.

Oh this just pierces my heart....I'm so, so, sorry this happened.
My condolences to the families of these heros. :rose:

JMO but Lil' man needs to be taken behind the woodshed. :yes:

The 2 officers have been named:

"Officers Richard Halford and Shawn A. Smiley were killed when their chopper hit a power line pole as they searched for a missing boy"

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2-cops-killed-atlanta-chopper-crash-article-1.1196858

"The 9-year-old boy was found wandering on a city street a couple of hours after the crash late Saturday night, Atlanta police spokesman Officer John Chafee said Sunday. He ran away after being scolded by his mother.

The two officers were identified Sunday as pilot Richard J. Halford, 48, of Lithia Springs, who had been with the department for 26 years, and Shawn A. Smiley, 40, of Lithonia, a tactical flight officer who joined the department two years ago."



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...chopper-crash-article-1.1196858#ixzz2BNeaKvn5

So very sad.