UPDATE: Guardian One helicopter over Sunrise Heights for Northgate murder suspect arrest

10:32 PM: We don’t know why yet – nothing obvious on police radio, and the helicopter’s arrival happened while we’d stepped away from the desk for a few minutes. We’re working on it. If you’re seeing a police response on the ground, let us know (comment, or text 206-293-6302).

10:45 PM: One other tidbit of information, there are no SFD responses for injury incidents in the area – while SPD calls are not consistently logged online, SFD calls are, so that much we can say. Those who’ve seen police on the ground say it’s focused in the EC Hughes and Navos vicinity and that Holden is blocked at 30th.

10:49 PM: Guardian One has departed, headed north and out of West Seattle. Eventually we’ll find out what this was about and will update when we do.

11:24 PM: No official word from police but tips and indications (plus the lack of monitorable radio traffic – we have listened back to everything archived and there was nothing, which suggests it’s on an encrypted channel) indicate this is a warrant operation.

11:38 PM: According to a tipster and to an incident number mentioned over police radio a few minutes ago, this is somehow related to a North Seattle shooting earlier in the week.

2:16 AM: CSI units have been to the investigation scene (which is reported to be on 28th SW) and just told dispatch they’re leaving now.

10:46 AM: SPD has just published confirmation of the warrant arrest and says that shooting now has claimed the victim’s life, so the suspect faces a murder charge. (So basically, Guardian One was there in case the suspect bolted during the warrant operation. And the “shots” people heard would have been “flashbang” noisemaking devices sometimes used during warrant operations, standoffs, etc.) We will track the case; the 28-year-old suspect is in King County Jail this morning, and will have a bail/probable-cause hearing either this afternoon or tomorrow.

40 Replies to "UPDATE: Guardian One helicopter over Sunrise Heights for Northgate murder suspect arrest"

  • Also curious July 30, 2025 (10:33 pm)

  • WS Resident July 30, 2025 (10:34 pm)

    Large police presence in Navos parking lot on Holden 

  • Anon July 30, 2025 (10:35 pm)

    Heard a few bangs near 34th street and singular police sirens. I can see the helicopter circling near by. 

  • Resident July 30, 2025 (10:35 pm)

    We heard a gunshot. Helicopter right over our house now.

    • C July 30, 2025 (10:43 pm)

      Stay safe. I just checked all my doors and windows are locked

    • Tina July 30, 2025 (10:44 pm)

      I thought I just heard that 

  • Jo July 30, 2025 (10:35 pm)

    I heard some sirens and a gunshot awhile ago. Helicopter still circling 

  • Want to sleep! July 30, 2025 (10:37 pm)

    The helicopter is right over Delridge. Police sirens from many different areas. Sounded like some one shot something up at the copter but they’re still circling. 

  • Cooper July 30, 2025 (10:37 pm)

    I heard a siren, and what might have been a gunshot, around 10:25 PM. 

  • MC July 30, 2025 (10:38 pm)

    Police response can be seen from 30th and Holden but unable to get a clear view without walking to the end of the block. A couple potential gun shots heard before and after helicopter/ police response.

  • M July 30, 2025 (10:39 pm)

    I did hear a couple explosions outside, like smaller firework sounds. 

  • Hadley July 30, 2025 (10:40 pm)

    Watching it fly around and around.  Heard a possible gunshot after it had been flying for a while. Then its police siren came on.  Heard another possible gunshot a few minutes later.  Whatever is happening it’s only a few blocks from my house. I can hear police sirens on the ground now at 10:40pm.  

  • Rhonda July 30, 2025 (10:41 pm)

    We can hear a LOT of sirens (not SFD) to the north of us here in Arbor Heights along with the Guardian One droning.

  • C July 30, 2025 (10:41 pm)

    Near EC Hughes and helicopter has been circling for at least 10 minutes. Two flash bangs so far.

  • T July 30, 2025 (10:42 pm)

    Heard a cop siren briefly about 15 min ago but nothing since couldn’t see anything either. Just circling above for 20 minutes now  mostly above the alley between 30th and 31st between Othello and Webster . 

  • Tina July 30, 2025 (10:42 pm)

    Anyone know what’s happening here on HOLDEN, police, helicopter flying low over and over , car sirens?? Happening for the last hr of so

  • Mattthew Wood July 30, 2025 (10:42 pm)

    Heard sirens up and down Delridge before Guardian showed up, pretty quiet now, except the heli still circling..

  • Jeff July 30, 2025 (10:43 pm)

    They are circling over 34th/32nd ave south between thistle and elm grove for some reason

  • Angelina July 30, 2025 (10:43 pm)

    Neighbor’s motion detection light went off about 5 minutes ago on 31st between Webster and Othello. But didn’t see anyone. Sirens went off a few minutes prior to that. 

  • Mattthew Wood July 30, 2025 (10:43 pm)

    Heard sirens up and down Delridge before Guardian showed up, pretty quiet now, except the heli still circling..

    • WSB July 30, 2025 (10:53 pm)

      There was an unrelated medical call on Delridge that would have accounted for siren activity. Police do use them too in some urgent instances but not nearly as much as SFD.

  • B&R July 30, 2025 (10:46 pm)

    Same here, we heard a gunshot….? and 2 helicopters still circling near 35th toward High point. 

    • WSB July 30, 2025 (10:51 pm)

      Only one helicopter. G-1 is the only law enforcement helicopter in the metro area. And it’s moved on now. Sorry I don’t have details yet, but still trying.

  • J July 30, 2025 (10:46 pm)

    Something is happening on Holden, near the daycare. It just looks like one police car from here, but did hear a single loud bang.

  • KD July 30, 2025 (10:49 pm)

    Yes, the helicopter is quite active in the sky from over here, (Highland Park, east of Sunrise Heights) I can see and hear it, it’s doing very tight circles, not large coverage. Question for you WSB; since the police scanner went offline to all last week (and I can’t hear or find out to be careful of scenes or curious) you mentioned you’d missed hearing the police radio when you stepped away, what app or channel do you subscribe to hear the police activity? I can still hear the SFD, but they did not go offline. I really miss listening to SPD late at night. What are you plugged into to listen? Thankyou ~ 

    • EJ July 30, 2025 (10:56 pm)

      Second this!

  • Elaine July 30, 2025 (10:51 pm)

    The helicopter just left (10:50) but I still hear sirens. 

    • WSB July 30, 2025 (11:11 pm)

      There are two medical calls currently working in West Seattle. SFD is the source of 95% of the siren activity, day in and day out. If you hear very short bursts of a siren, that’s the type police use with active searches, particularly involving K-9s.

  • David July 30, 2025 (10:51 pm)

    About 15 min ago, I heard two explosions separated by several minutes.  Each explosion immediately followed by police sirens chirping.  The explosions sounded more like fireworks than a gun, but who knows?

  • Anon neighbor July 30, 2025 (10:51 pm)

    1035pm, I was taking dog out for walk west of SWCC on 30th Ave and this teen on Lime bike going fast, was on speaker to a friend in a panicked voice riding towards WestWood Viiliage on 30th. The helicopter was circling right above us. May be connected.

    • Ok July 30, 2025 (11:13 pm)

      Call the police??

  • DG July 30, 2025 (10:51 pm)

    One of the gunshots came from the helicopter. I was watching it circle over what might have been EC Hughes park when I saw a muzzle flash from the side of G1. Look your doors, turn your indoor lights off and your outdoor lights on. 

  • hd July 30, 2025 (10:54 pm)

    Randomly and selfishly, when I hear that much police response I hope it’s Decker. I know it’s not but a girl can hope. 

  • Sunrise heights July 30, 2025 (10:56 pm)

    Police blocking all traffic still at 28th and Webster 

  • EP July 30, 2025 (11:02 pm)

    Police response is centered around a house on 28th SW, just a few houses north of Holden. We drove past it all on the way home, saw a large number of police vehicles on 28th and in the navos lot, as well as a spotlight on the house.

  • anonymous July 30, 2025 (11:06 pm)

    I live in the area and heard police say search warrant

    • WSB July 30, 2025 (11:22 pm)

      That’s what I’m starting to think, after going back through archived radio and finding nothing, that this was likely a warrant operation, not an incident response. Those happen more commonly in the morning, but there’s always a reason for an exception.

  • Tracey July 31, 2025 (3:08 am)

    Can anyone shed some light on what Guardian One was doing.  Did the person flee the residence?  Also, what were those loud bangs/shots (2 of them) or were they unrelated?  

    • WSB July 31, 2025 (9:13 am)

      Those would have been “flashbangs.”

      • WSB July 31, 2025 (11:01 am)

        And SPD has just confirmed the arrest in what’s now a homicide case. Updated the story, and will also publish something separate.

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