19-year-old accused of firing gun around time of deadly Houston police helicopter crash
Police say a teen has been arrested in connection to a helicopter crash that left one Houston Police Department officer injured and another dead.
ABC13 reported Josue Daniel Claros-Trajedo is accused of shooting at helicopters that were providing support in the crash.
According to KHOU, there were reports of shots being fired before and after the helicopter crashed into an apartment complex around 2 a.m. Saturday.
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Fox26 Houston reported that, according to state prosecutors, Claros-Trajedo was seen firing a gun in an upward motion around the time of the crash. He is also accused of hiding the gun in an air vent in his apartment. He allegedly fired the gun five more times while the injured officer was being loaded into the ambulance.
Claros-Trajedo was arrested and charged with discharging a firearm in a metro area, KHOU reported.
Police Chief Art Acevedo said six people were arrested in connection to the incident, but it’s not clear if Claros-Trajedo in among those six.
Related: 1 Houston police officer killed, 1 injured in helicopter crash
The helicopter pilot, 35-year-old Chase Cormier, was severely injured and broke his back. He was moved to a rehabilitation hospital Friday.
Tactical Flight Officer Jason Knox, 35, died in the incident. Visitation was held him this evening. A private funeral is scheduled for Saturday.
If you would like to honor fallen officer Jason Knox, here is how you can join us in saying goodbye. #75Fox #N8375F pic.twitter.com/WIQexotpTE
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) May 6, 2020
Claros-Trajedo remains in jail on a $15,000 bond, KHOU reported.
The crash remains under investigation.
About the Author
Kelcie Willis is a writer and online content producer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Georgia. At the AJC, she covers state, regional and national news with the Content Curation Desk.
