Deputy Sheriff Patrick Steven Coyle
San Diego County Sheriff's Department
California
End of Watch: Sunday, February 16, 1997

Biographical Info
Age: 42
Tour of Duty: 8 years
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: Sunday, February 16, 1997
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available

Deputy Coyle was killed and a another deputy was injured in a helicopter accident. Deputy Coyle died of his injuries approximately 3 hours after the crash, which occurred at 7:44 pm.

The two deputies were looking for possible trespassers when the Hughes 500 helicopter suddenly lost power and fell from the sky. The tail was sheared from the helicopter on impact but the passenger compartment was left largely intact.

Deputy Coyle had served in law enforcement for 8 years. He is survived by his wife and two small children.