GILBERT, Ariz.—Hundreds of law enforcement officers, family, and friends gathered at services to honor two Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) officers who died when their helicopter crashed while responding to an active shooter call on Feb. 4.
Services for aviation supervisor and helicopter pilot Robert B. Skankey, 61, took place on Feb. 20 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kingman.
On Feb. 23, a service for Arizona State Trooper and paramedic Hunter Bennett, 28, was held at Mission Church in Gilbert.
Those in attendance said they were heartfelt tributes to the lives, hard work, and sacrifices of both men, celebrating the strong character that made them special.
“It may seem odd to you, but I do believe we live in a world where when events happen, we don’t take the space to allow ourselves to feel, to grieve, to mourn,” said Mission Church Pastor Kevin Rhineheimer.
“It’s almost as if the world says it’s not allowed. We’re just going to move forward without you. And that’s not what’s going to happen today. We’re going to pause, and we’re going to take the time to honor a man that I believe is worth honoring.”
On Feb. 4, a helicopter crew from AZDPS assisted the Flagstaff Police Department and other agencies as they responded to an active shooter in the Flagstaff area.
The crew provided air support.
The helicopter crashed during the response, resulting in the deaths of both the pilot, Skankey, and the trooper-paramedic, Bennett.
Before the crash, officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, Terrell Storey, 50, who was wounded and survived, and is now in custody.
Storey faces charges that include two counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement, three counts of first-degree burglary, and disorderly conduct.
The AZDPS Major Incident Division will lead the investigation into the shooting.
The agency will coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board on the investigation into the helicopter crash.
He was promoted to aviation supervisor on June 8, 2024, and continued to serve at Western Air Rescue.
Skankey served in the Marine Corps from 1988 until he retired in July 2010. He reached the rank of lieutenant colonel, served as a lead pilot, flew missions for the president, and was in charge of operations and safety.
He worked as a medical helicopter pilot for Air Methods Corporation in Kingman. Before joining AZDPS, Skankey had flown for more than 5,100 hours.
In 2016, he earned a master’s degree in administration, with a focus on leadership, from Northern Arizona University.
While serving in the Marine Corps, Skankey finished a course for aviation safety officers and graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School.
He attended Brigham Young University and graduated in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering technology.
He is survived by his wife, Tjiske Skankey, his four children—Robert, Bryce, Kirstin Anne Workman, and Samuel—and other relatives.
Family members described him as a man of deep faith with a strong desire to serve his community.
“He was an incredible man,” said his daughter, Kirsten Anne Workman, during the service. “But to me, he was my daddy.”
Bennett was born on Feb. 1, 1998, in Hartford, Connecticut, to Jeff and Renee Bennett. He has a brother, Devon.
He attended the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University and graduated with honors in 2020, majoring in Business and Criminal Justice and minoring in Homeland Security.
Bennett started with AZDPS as a cadet state trooper on June 11, 2022.
After finishing first in his class at the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy on Jan. 13, 2023, he began working night shifts in the Highway Patrol Division, Metro Patrol Bureau District 20.
In April 2024, Bennett moved to Western Air Rescue in Kingman as a Trooper and Paramedic.
In August 2025, he took a temporary assignment as a recruiter in the Human Resources Bureau’s Sworn Recruiting Unit.
After that, he became a fully trained AZDPS Air Rescue Paramedic and was certified by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.
Before joining AZDPS, he worked as an ambulance paramedic for American Medical Response, answering 911 calls.
On Oct. 21, 2024, Bennett married his high school sweetheart, Breanna, in Hawaii.
“Hunter turned 28 just three days before his death—28 is not long enough,” said his mother, Renee Bennett, during the service.
“But Hunter showed us it’s not the number of years that you live, but how you live the number of years that you’re given.”
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs ordered flags lowered to half-staff in honor of both officers.