2 s. F. Police officers found dead in copter crash near modesto

FRESNO — Two veteran San Francisco police officers were killed late Tuesday when their helicopter crashed in western Stanislaus County as they were returning from a maintenance trip to the

Central Valley. The officers were identified Wednesday as pilot Kirk Brookbush, 49, and James Dougherty, 56, a mechanic. Both had been with the force for more than 25 years. Dougherty, the

father of three children, lived in San Francisco, a Police Department spokesman said. He said Brookbush had at least one son and lived in Hayward, about 20 miles south of the city. “We hoped

against hope throughout the night that the helicopter and its pilots would be found safe,” San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown said in a statement. “Unfortunately, today we must mourn the

deaths of two of our police officers, and we extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones.” The helicopter went down in a field about three miles south of Crows Landing, a

farming community southwest of Modesto. Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board and the San Francisco Police Department will investigate. MORE TO READ