Air Force Helicopter Shot At Over Virginia, Injuring Crew Member

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An Air Force helicopter operating over Virginia on Monday was reportedly shot at, injuring one member of the crew and prompting an FBI investigation.

Marine One carrying President Donald Trump, a support helicopter, and a decoy helicopter approach at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, in 2019.BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images





The UH-1N Huey helicopter, assigned to Joint Base Andrews just outside of Washington, D.C., was conducting a routine training flight roughly 1,000 feet above the ground before it was forced to make an emergency landing at an airport in nearby Manassas, Virginia, after being struck by a bullet, an Air Force spokesperson tells U.S. News. The helicopter is assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron, which supports the movement of the president and other senior government officials to and from Andrews, where Air Force One is also based.

The FBI dispatched special agents and its Evidence Response Team to the airport after receiving reports about the shooting, its Washington Field Office said in a statement provided to U.S. News. It is currently conducting a joint investigation with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and local law enforcement agencies.

McClatchy first reported the incident. Multiple officials at the Manassas Regional Airport told the news outlet that they received an emergency call shortly after noon on Monday before the helicopter made an emergency landing there, where it was met by paramedics to treat the injured crewman. The crewman, whose identity was not released, was taken to a local hospital for treatment for a non-life threatening injury and has subsequently been released. The aircraft also sustained damage, the Air Force said.

The FBI is soliciting help from the public for its investigation. Anyone with information about the incident can call the Washington Field Office at 202-278-2000.
Updated on Aug. 12, 2020: This story has been updated.