A grand jury in Coconino County has indicted a Flagstaff man on 60 felony counts related to a shootout and deadly helicopter crash in Flagstaff more than a week ago.
Terrell Storey faces two first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Department of Public Safety pilot Robert Skankey and trooper-paramedic Hunter Bennett.
They were aboard the helicopter that crashed during the Wed, Feb. 4 shootout in a Flagstaff neighborhood.
Arizona law allows a person to be charged with murder if, while they’re committing certain other crimes, a death results of another individual.
“Our hearts remain with the families of Hunter Bennett and Robert Skankey, and with all the families impacted by this incident,” said Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker in a press release. “We are committed to pursuing this case with the diligence and care it requires.”
Flagstaff police responded to a domestic violence call that devolved into the two-hour face-off in which they allegedly exchanged fire with Storey who police say fired on officers from rooftops throughout the west Flagstaff neighborhood.
Storey was also indicted on more than two dozen aggravated assault charges with prosecutors alleging numerous victims including local residents and 25 law enforcement officers.
In addition, Storey faces six charges of first-degree residential burglary and several counts of weapons violations, endangerment, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Earlier this week, the Coconino County Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint that included 50 counts. The case was then presented to a grand jury, which returned the 60-count indictment that supersedes the complaint and begins proceedings in Coconino County Superior Court.
County officials did not provide a date for Storey’s arraignment.
He was shot during the incident and remains in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Coconino County Sheriff's Office.
Storey is being held on a $5 million bond and is represented by the Coconino County Public Defender’s Office.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Peter Knudson said the agency was still gathering details with a preliminary report expected within 30 days of the accident.
A final report establishing a probable cause for the helicopter crash and any contributing factors is expected in one to two years, Knudson said.
As the officers spoke with the victim in the front yard on Feb. 4, Storey shot at them from the back of the residence with a semiautomatic rifle, Connolly said. A protracted gunbattle ensued, with the suspect “hopping from roof to roof” in the neighborhood while shooting at officers, the chief said.
The helicopter crew had been playing a common role, helping officers on the ground. Before crashing, the aircraft was making a pass back to the shootout scene when it slowed to almost a hover about 1,000 feet (300 meters) over a hilltop, according to public flight-path data.
Skankey was a longtime resident of Kingman and had been hired by the Department of Public Safety in May 2021. He previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was married with four children.
Bennett was an honors graduate of Arizona State University and the top graduate of his 2023 Arizona Law Enforcement Academy class. He transferred to an air rescue unit in 2024 and months later married his high school sweetheart, officials said.
Barker said in a statement announcing the indictment that his office was “committed to pursuing this case with the diligence and care it requires.”
“Our hearts remain with the families of Hunter Bennett and Robert Skankey, and with all the families impacted by this incident,” Barker said.
