Plaque honoring late Huntington Beach police officer unveiled in Newport Beach

Hundreds gathered Sunday morning in Newport Beach for the unveiling of a memorial plaque honoring late Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella.

A year to the day after Vella’s death, the plaque was installed on the seawall at Marina Park on the Balboa Peninsula.

The newly installed plaque on the seawall at Marina Park was dedicated Sunday in honor of late HBPD Officer Nicholas Vella.

(Susan Hoffman)

Vella, a 14-year veteran of the HBPD, died in a helicopter crash responding to a call for service off the waters of Newport Beach.

Speakers on Sunday included Huntington Beach Police Chief Eric Parra and Mayor Tony Strickland, as well as Newport Beach acting Police Chief Joseph Cartwright and Newport Beach Mayor Noah Blom.

“One year has passed, and there are still no words that can adequately express this loss,” Parra said. “We will always remember Nick on this day. He was a selfless and driven police officer and man who we were blessed to have known.”

Kristi Vella places a white rose on the newly dedicated plaque installed on the seawall at Marina Park on Sunday, in honor of her late husband and Huntington Beach Police Officer, Nicholas Vella.

(Susan Hoffman)

Vella started his law enforcement career with the Laguna Beach Police Department and joined the HBPD in 2008. He worked a variety of assignments there, including patrol, beach detail, SWAT and tactical flight officer, as an ancillary duty while still working patrol.

Vella was assigned to the Air Support Unit in 2016, and earned the positions of police helicopter pilot and certified flight instructor.

“Our Huntington Beach community takes great pride in our police department and the phenomenal work our police heroes do for Huntington Beach and the surrounding area,” Strickland said. “While I didn’t have the honor of meeting Nick, the many stories I have heard about his dedication to our city, his family, and his law enforcement brothers and sisters make clear what a tremendous father, husband, son, friend and officer he was.”

Airmen from the Huntington Beach Police Air Support Unit were among the attendees, along with police and fire departments during the Nicholas Vella plaque dedication held Sunday at Marina Park.

(Susan Hoffman)

The plaque dedication came two weeks after a 3-mile stretch of Beach Boulevard was designated as the Officer Nicholas Vella Memorial Highway.

Susan Hoffman contributed to this story.

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