The Honda Center will host a memorial service on March 8 to honor Huntington Beach police officer Nicholas Vella, who died from injuries after the helicopter he was piloting crashed of the shore of Newport Beach on February 19.
The memorial service will begin at 10:00 a.m.
Vella was an 18-year law enforcement veteran, and 14 of those years were with the HBPD. He is survived by his wife and teenage daughter.
The Huntington Beach Police Officer’s Association, in partnership with the HBPD, have established a fund for the support of Officer Vella’s widow and daughter. Donations to it can be made online.
The memorial service will be livestreamed, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department.
READ: Huntington Beach Police Chopper Crashes In Water In Newport; One Officer Dead, Another Seriously Injured
Vella and another officer were responding to a call for assistance from the Newport Beach Police Department when their chopper, HB-1, spiraled and lost altitude, finally crashing into the waters between Lido and Balboa. The other officer survived the crash.
The Huntington Beach Police Department provides helicopter service under contract to Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, after both cities disbanded their helicopter units due to budget pressures.
Multiple agencies immediately deployed to the scene and mounted a rescue operation
Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Major Accident Reconstruction Team are investigating to determine the cause of the crash.
