UPDATE: Helicopter-assisted search in Highland Park ends with arrest, gun seizure

| Crime | Helicopter | Highland Park | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

4:31 PM: Thanks to everyone who asked about the helicopter search in Highland Park. Guardian One was assisting Seattle Police with a search. We don’t know yet what incident it’s linked to, but we do know they just took someone into custody in the greenbelt over Highland Park Way/Riverview Playfield. More details when we get them.

5:09 PM: No official info from police yet, and we couldn’t find officers on the ground, but scanner traffic and another reader tip indicates it was related to a stolen car.

6:05 PM: Guardian One confirms via Twitter that the search was for a driver who fled a stolen car.

7:54 PM: Even more details, and a photo, from SPD:

Just after 3:00 p.m., a parkgoer reported a man asleep in a red pickup truck parked on a foot path in the greenbelt area of Riverview Park. When responding officers contacted the man, he fled on foot into the woods. Police quickly discovered the truck had been registered stolen earlier this week in North Seattle, and spotted a rifle in the back seat.

With the help of King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Guardian One, SPD officers on the ground found the suspect hiding in the greenbelt and arrested him.

Police transported the 26-year-old man to King County Jail to book him for possession of a stolen car and unlawful possession of a firearm. It appears part of the rifle was still being constructed. Nevertheless, the suspect is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. However, during the booking process at KCJ, the suspect deliberately punched a concrete pillar, causing injuries which required treatment at Harborview Medical Center. Officers plan to book the man into jail when he is medically cleared at the hospital.

Patience February 9, 2022 (5:35 pm)

My husband just got home (5:20pm) from a long walk from Puget Park to Duwamish Greenbelt Trails to East Marginal Way to the bottom of Highland Park Way. He started up the hill to finish his loop by going thru the trail that leads up to the backside of SSC from Highland Park Way. There was a huge police presence. He ended up having to walk up HPW/Boeing hill because the officers would not let him go onto the trail because there was a search going on for a man with a gun in the woods.

C February 9, 2022 (7:00 pm)

I saw 2 cops come out of the woods by the riverview baseball fields around 4:30pm

TAS February 9, 2022 (8:17 pm)

If the suspect was transported I feel curious as to why the helicopters are all over White Center at 8:15 PM.

WSB February 9, 2022 (8:54 pm)

Completely unrelated incident. Don’t have details on it yet but Guardian One has been busy today/tonight – they’ve moved off that to yet another incident, this time in Burien.
- WSB February 9, 2022 (10:17 pm)
  
  G-1 tweeted that they were looking for a domestic-violence court order violator but didn’t find him.

Chuck Jacobs February 9, 2022 (9:19 pm)

The firearm pictured is a pistol, not a rifle. It has a 10 inch barrel and a stabilizing brace in place of a shoulder stock. A rifle would have a minimum barrel length of 16 inches and a minimum overall length of 26 inches. Also, it has no fire control group, (trigger) installed. It is non functional.

WSB February 9, 2022 (9:26 pm)

The quoted verbiage (which should display in blue-block unless you are viewing mobile, in which case it’s indented/italicized) describing it is from SPD, not me, FYI.
- Mike February 17, 2022 (4:41 pm)
  
  It doesn’t matter any gun in the hands of a felon working or not even gun parts you will be charged period.
Jethro Marx February 10, 2022 (7:46 am)

Do you mean a legal rifle would meet those specifications? At this point the difference between this kind of pistol and a short barreled rifle is not practical function but a mishmash of legalities and visual appearance. It’s irrelevant to the vast majority of people, at any rate, how we classify it. Gun owners are never so concerned with word choice and technicalities as when firearms are discussed. It’s probably one reason we have a hard time, as a society, having any meaningful discussion on the subject. This particular gun can’t shoot like this, sure. But it can still be the linchpin of some pretty dangerous situations.

1994 February 9, 2022 (10:44 pm)

Who would drive around, or park somewhere, with a nasty looking firearm (even if it is non functional at the moment) like that just laying in the backseat? Answer: Only a convicted felon with an anger problem.

StopCuttingDownTrees February 9, 2022 (11:38 pm)

It’s not a rifle, it’s a pistol. It’s effectively not even a firearm (besides it having a receiver) because it has no trigger/fire control group. But it’s illegal for a felon to have a receiver.

Marcus February 10, 2022 (4:44 am)

Pistol or rifle, the thing is meant for tactical uses and meant to kill. Small and concealable until one is well into a place of businesses like a cannabis store. Boy am I glad this guy is off the streets.

vietnam vet ive been in the doo February 10, 2022 (6:26 am)

who picked out the graphic of the edited apache? if its the sheriffs office that would be pretty disappointing lol

cjboffoli February 10, 2022 (11:37 am)

I wouldn’t mind having Blue Thunder patrolling the skies over West Seattle.
- GeneseeFivePoints February 10, 2022 (2:52 pm)
  
  “Blue Thunder” The Seahawks drumline?

Wsres February 10, 2022 (7:05 am)

Riverview park is a scary area. Drug transactions occur there often.

mango February 10, 2022 (8:13 am)

Please lot him up for a long time. If not, why should anyone obey the law?

Wsres February 11, 2022 (7:51 am)

Lock him up? Yeah right, he’ll be walking the streets in 2 days.
- Mike February 17, 2022 (4:43 pm)
  
  Highly doubtful