3,000 Attend Services for 2 Costa Mesa Officers Who Died in Collision of Copters
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About 3,000 people, including 1,200 police officers from as far away as Calexico and Seattle, paid their last respects Friday to Mike Libolt and Dave Ketchum, the Costa Mesa officers killed in a midair helicopter collision Tuesday.
The standing-room-only crowd packed into Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa where they heard fellow officers and the department chaplain eulogize the two as talented, happy men who died doing what they loved best: flying.
Libolt and Ketchum, both 39 and of Costa Mesa, died when their helicopter collided with a Newport Beach copter during a pursuit of a stolen car suspect. Vincent Acosta, 19, of Anaheim was later arrested and faces several charges, including murder and auto theft.
Police Chief David Snowden, his voice trembling as he fought back tears, said, “We’ll continue to patrol the skies of our city with the same pride and professionalism” as was displayed by the two pilots.
After the memorial service, the crowd gathered around the flag-draped coffins in the church courtyard to hear a Marine Corps bugler play taps. As officers stood at attention, 10 police helicopters flew over from the west. As they passed overhead, one of them cut away and flew southward.
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