Terrell Storey, 50, was indicted by a grand jury on Feb. 13 on two counts of first-degree felony murder and a total of 60 criminal counts stemming from a fatal state helicopter crash during a Feb. 4 shootout in Flagstaff, prosecutors and law enforcement said.
Authorities said the confrontation began when officers responded to a domestic violence call, according to Flagstaff Police Chief Sean Connolly. As officers spoke with the victim in the front yard, Connolly said Storey shot at them from the back of the residence using a semiautomatic rifle, triggering a prolonged gunbattle as Storey moved from roof to roof in a residential neighborhood.
The helicopter crew, which was in a supporting role for officers on the ground, was making a pass back to the scene before the crash. Public flight-path data showed the aircraft slowed to nearly a hover about 1,000 feet (300 meters) over a hilltop before it went down, officials said.
Storey was captured about the same time as the helicopter crash and was hospitalized for gunshot wounds that officials said were not life-threatening, according to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office. Jon Paxton of the sheriff’s office said Storey remained hospitalized on Feb. 13.
In addition to the felony murder counts for the deaths of trooper paramedic Hunter Bennett and pilot Robert Skankey, prosecutors said the indictment covers dozens of other charges, including aggravated assault, burglary, disorderly conduct and endangerment. Under Arizona law, suspects can face felony murder charges for deaths caused “in the course of and in furtherance of” another crime, such as burglary, kidnapping or sexual assault.
Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker said he anticipated Storey would be arraigned Feb. 23, and he declined further comment on the facts of the case beyond a statement announcing the indictment. Barker said his office was “committed to pursuing this case with the diligence and care it requires,” adding, “Our hearts remain with the families of Hunter Bennett and Robert Skankey, and with all the families impacted by this incident.”
Public defender Jennifer Stock said she represented Storey and described the indictment process as one she planned to monitor closely. Stock said, “Our sympathy and condolences go out to the families of the two men who were killed in the helicopter crash,” and she added she was “interested to see the results of the NTSB investigation.”
The indictment did not specify whether Storey fired at the helicopter with the semiautomatic long rifle police said he was using. Officials said the crash’s cause remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, and an NTSB spokesperson said the agency was still gathering details. Peter Knudson said the preliminary report is expected within 30 days and that a final report establishing probable cause and contributing factors could come in one to two years.
Bennett was identified as a top graduate of his 2023 Arizona Law Enforcement Academy class and an honors graduate of Arizona State University, before he transferred to an air rescue unit in 2024. Officials also said he married his high school sweetheart months later. Skankey was described as a longtime resident of Kingman and a pilot hired by the Arizona Department of Public Safety in May 2021, after previously serving in the U.S. Marine Corps; officials said he was married with four children.
The indictment names as victims 25 law enforcement officers who responded to the scene, along with people living in homes in the area, authorities said. Storey was being held on a $5 million bond.