Flagstaff helicopter crash horror after 'gunshots heard' and police swarm scene

A law enforcement helicopter has crashed in Flagstaff in northern Arizona near the scene of a police shooting - police declared a 'critical incident'

A helicopter has crashed near the scene of a police shooting.

A law enforcement helicopter crashed in Flagstaff in northern Arizona on Wednesday night (local time), the Page Police Department said. The incident unfolded in the area north of Historic Route 66 between Thomson Street and Mark Lane.

Investigators said no officers were injured in the shooting and that the suspect is in custody. Police have not yet confirmed whether anyone was injured in the crash involving an Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter.

Local resident Amanda Brewer said she called police after hearing several gunshots at around 8.40pm MST, AZFamily reports. She said officers arrived within minutes and then heard between 15 and 20 gunshots followed by the sound of the DPS helicopter above her house at 10pm.

"You could hear the blades going," Ms Brewer told the outlet. “Then there was a very large crash; it shook the house. It was startling." Brewer said there was a large fire in the forest behind her house and that she heard further gunshots after the crash.

The Flagstaff Police Department declared a "critical incident" in a social media post at around 10.15pm and instructed residents not to leave their homes. It is not yet clear what led to the police shooting or the crash. The condition of the suspect also remains unclear.