Latest news with #HBPD
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Huntington Beach police investigate shooting, leaving 1 person injured
Investigators with the Huntington Beach Police Department are investigating an early Monday morning shooting that left one person injured outside a commercial area complex. The shooting was reported at Skylab Road and Springdale Street around 7:15 a.m. Aerial footage showed investigators responding to an outdoor area of a California Closets building. HBPD reported that the shooting did not appear to be random and that the injured person was transported to a hospital. This is a developing story.
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Huntington Beach Police Department readies Drone as First Responder program
The Huntington Beach Police Department typically takes about five minutes to get to a crime scene or emergency situation. Drones will soon cut that time to two minutes or less. The department is expected to launch its Drone as First Responder program on Sept. 13, officials said during a press conference and demonstration Tuesday at the Lake Street Fire Station. Three Skydio X10 drones will be docked on rooftops at strategic locations around the city, also including a location near Bella Terra outdoor mall and one near Huntington Beach City Hall, said police Lt. Chris Nesmith. Nesmith, who manages the department's drone program, said each drone has a 2-mile radius. Eventually, the department is hopeful the whole city will be covered. DFP programs have been launching statewide. Large cities such as New York, Chicago and Oklahoma City have started similar programs. 'What we're going to be able to do for the officers on the ground is a huge thing,' Nesmith said. 'You have no idea what you're driving into. This is going to give you a bird's-eye view before you're even on the scene. The officers can watch on monitors while they're en route to the call [to see] what's happening at the call before they get there.' The drones will be controlled remotely from the department's real-time crime center using an Xbox controller, said HBPD Detective Taylor Davoren, a Drone as First Responder pilot. The department has 17 officers who will operate the drones, having passed the FAA Part 107 commercial exam and completed specialized Beyond Visual Line of Sight certification. 'One of the biggest advantages of this program is how quickly we can get on scene to support investigations and prosecutions,' Davoren said. 'In most cases, suspect or vehicle descriptions are critical, but if it takes an officer five minutes to arrive, those details might be gone. With drones, we can often be there in under two minutes and start recording immediately, which will be extremely helpful for these investigations. 'That means we're capturing key details — who was there? How many people were there? What vehicles were they driving? — evidence that has been left behind. This not only helps in making arrests, but building stronger cases that can lead to successful prosecutions.' The program is funded for multiple years for about $120,000 annually, Huntington Beach spokesman Corbin Carson said. That includes equipment, installation, training and ongoing support. Nesmith said the HBPD partnered with Skydio, an American company, due to a possible ban on Chinese drones. He also emphasized that the DFP program is not a surveillance program. 'This isn't a Big Brother program, this is a public safety law enforcement program that will be reactive only for calls for service,' he said. The department has been using drone technology since 2018, but previously the drone would have to be taken to a site by an officer and set up. Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns, a former pilot for the Long Beach Police Department, said he was enthusiastic about the program. 'Big perimeters take hours sometimes,' Burns said. 'If there's not an eye in the sky, if that helicopter with night vision is not available, sometimes those perimeters can be a nightmare demand on personnel and keeping that perimeter contained. With that eye in the sky, within minutes at times, you can nail that person. The perimeter is broken down and [officers] can go back to doing what they do, serving the people on the streets.'
CBS News
7 days ago
- CBS News
Huntington Beach Police Department set to launch drone program
The Huntington Beach Police Department says it's improving response time and public safety with its new drone program, set to go live on September 13. The program comes with an annual $120,000 budget, and so far, the department has three drones placed on rooftops, ready to launch at various locations throughout the city. Huntington Beach Police Chief Eric Parra said it's disaster preparedness, helping to locate lost seniors and children, "It's off the charts in terms of how much better public safety becomes because of this," he said. Drone-trained detectives pilot the unmanned aerial vehicles from the police station, allowing for a two-minute response time. At a Tuesday program demonstration, HBPD showed a video of how a drone assisted in detecting a vehicle burglary suspect in an outdoor parking lot. Police said other agencies that have adopted Drone First Responder Programs have reported that drones handled between 20 and 25% of their patrol calls. "The officers that are responding will be able to know what they're going into," Huntington Beach PD Lt. Chris Nesmith said. "They'll know what the suspect is doing while officers are on the way. They can gauge their response and their tactics on the way to the call instead of getting to the call and deciding what they'll be facing when they get there." Nesmith added that the drone program will keep officers safer and allow the department to maximize its manpower. The department assured residents that officers will not use the drones to spy on people's backyards.
CBS News
07-08-2025
- CBS News
Man arrested after firing shotgun multiple times inside Huntington Beach condo complex
Huntington Beach police arrested a man who reportedly fired a shotgun multiple times inside of a condominium complex on Wednesday. Officers were dispatched to the complex, located near Pacific Coast Highway and Coral Cay, at around 6:30 a.m. after receiving reports of shots fire, according to a release from HBPD. "Officers arrived on scene and determined that a resident had discharged a shotgun multiple times inside his residence, striking several neighboring units," police said. They immediately contained the scene and evacuated surrounding units as they tried to coax the suspect into surrendering, police said. At around 7:50 a.m., officers said that the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident. They were not identified. No injuries were reported in the shooting. As their investigation continues, HBPD said that they will be retaining any further information.
Los Angeles Times
07-07-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Police arrest Orange resident after Huntington Beach man fatally struck by car
A 21-year-old man from Orange was arrested Sunday morning after he allegedly struck and killed a pedestrian in Huntington Beach. The incident happened at about 12:45 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Atlanta Avenue and Delaware Street. Police said in a news release that the pedestrian, identified only as a 35-year-old man from Huntington Beach, was lying unconscious in the intersection. Paramedics were called to the scene but the man was later pronounced dead. Due to suspected impairment, police arrested the driver without incident. According to arrest logs, he was identified as Nathan Ethan Avina. Based on the initial police investigation, Avina's Audi RS5 was traveling east on Atlanta Avenue when it allegedly struck the pedestrian east of the Delaware Street intersection. The collision investigation is ongoing and being handled by the Huntington Beach Police Department Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or the events leading up to it is encouraged to contact HBPD Traffic Investigator Vishal Rattanchandani at (714) 960-5231.
