Huntington Beach to consider establishing memorial for fallen officer Nicholas Vella

An agenda item for Tuesday night’s Huntington Beach City Council meeting, if approved, would establish a memorial for late HBPD Officer Nicholas Vella in Newport Beach.

Vella, 44, was the passenger in the HB-1 police helicopter when it crashed into the Newport Harbor waters, near the Lido Peninsula, on Saturday night. The 14-year veteran of the HBPD was survived by his wife Kristie Tovar and a teenage daughter.

The item, introduced by Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Mike Posey and Councilwoman Kim Carr, directs city staff to work with Newport Beach officials to establish a memorial for Vella near the crash site. Additionally, staff would inform Vella’s family regarding the proposed memorial and seek their input throughout the process “to ensure that it is reflective of his life and commitment to public safety,” according to a report prepared for the discussion.

As Posey has noted, Vella is the fourth officer in city history to lose his life while serving the city. The last one was Leslie James Prince, who was struck by a suspected drunk driver while directing traffic in 1974.

Each of the previous three was honored by the city with street sign dedications in 2018.

Tuesday night’s meeting will be open to the public for in-person attendance, with masks optional for those who are fully vaccinated with booster shots. The meeting, which begins at 6 p.m., can also be watched on channel HBTV-3 or online at huntingtonbeach.legistar.com.

Communications received by 2 p.m. Tuesday will be distributed to the council prior to consideration of agenda-related items.

Residents are encouraged to speak in Council chambers during public comment, or submit comments during the meeting via Zoom. The Webinar ID is 971 5413 0528 and can be reached via the Zoom app or by calling (669) 900-6833 and entering the ID. Individuals will be placed in a holding queue and prompted to speak when the city clerk announces their name or the last three digits of their phone number. Time for remarks is limited to three minutes.

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