Off-duty TSA employee’s TikTok video of fatal HPD helicopter crash could be vital in investigation

HOUSTON – A TikTok video captured the devastating moment an HPD helicopter fell to the ground, killing one officer and leaving the other in critical condition.

Houston resident Jauan Kenney, whose apartment is across the street from the crash site, filmed the video early Saturday morning.

“Wait, wait, wait, stop! No, no, no, no!”Kenney is heard screaming in the video. “Oh my God, that helicopter just fell out of the sky."

In an interview with KPRC 2, Kenney recalled the moment he saw the helicopter fall from the sky as "scary."

"I have never seen anything like this happen before,” Kenney said.

RELATED: Here is what we know about officer Jason Knox, who died in a helicopter crash in north Houston

As of Monday, Kenney had talked with investigators from the Houston Police Department about the video, because what he captured may prove to e an invaluable piece of the investigation into what caused the crash that killed Tactical Flight Officer Jason Knox and seriously injured pilot, Officer Chase Cormier.

He had not talked with NTSB investigators, and it was unclear Monday if he would be interviewed by that agency.

The officers in the helicopter were responding to a report of bodies found in a nearby bayou, Police Chief Art Acevedo said. The helicopter crashed into part of an apartment complex located at 17050 Imperial Valley Drive, near the Greenspoint neighborhood in north Houston.

RELATED: 1 HPD officer killed, another injured in helicopter crash in north Houston

The National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Agency and the Houston Police Department are conducting a joint investigation into the crash. In a briefing Saturday afternoon, Acevedo said the joint investigation could take weeks, if not months.

Warning: The video mentioned is graphic and might not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised. To view the video, click here.


About the Authors:

Briana Zamora-Nipper joined the KPRC 2 digital team in 2019. When she’s not hard at work in the KPRC 2 newsroom, you can find Bri drinking away her hard earned wages at JuiceLand, running around Hermann Park, listening to crime podcasts or ransacking the magazine stand at Barnes & Noble.