Updates: Police in helicopter, ground search on Alki

| Helicopter | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

ORIGINAL 2:47 AM REPORT: Heard Guardian One over our house a few minutes ago, heading north – and in fact, we’ve just received a few notes and a call that the chopper is searching over Alki, and that there’s a ground search too. Haven’t heard exactly what happened but “two white males that jumped (a) fence” are being sought, and the chopper has reported not seeing any hot spots “around the building.” The caller said she’s seeing the activity close to the Alki Tully’s. More as we get it. 2:55 AM: We should mention, for potentially a bit of reassurance, there have been no aid calls in the area, so nothing injurious related to this; we’d been listening to the scanner even before the first phone call of the chopper over Alki (plus several Twitter and Facebook reports too) and hadn’t heard anything dramatic. 3:05 AM: Sounds like Guardian One is “clearing out.” If we’re not able to get any details on the incident here in the wee hours, we’ll update – as always – whenever the details DO become available. 4:05 AM: **NOT** related that we know of, but if you’re still awake in the Alki area after all this, there’s now a fire engine responding to 62nd/Alki for a “rubbish fire” (as real-time 911 puts it). 12:19 PM UPDATE: Just got the details from SPD media officer Mark Jamieson: A break-in or attempted break-in at Alki Elementary. Will post all the details in a separate item in a few minutes. No arrests.

Alki Resident May 23, 2009 (2:51 am)

Aye, aye WSB. Police cars facing each other – one in front of Christos – one in front of Tully’s. Chopper super loud here (me, living right in the middle).

Must be something serious?

So glad I can come to this blog and get info – even at 2:30am.

Cami May 23, 2009 (2:54 am)

It’s getting a bit quieter here. Going to check all the doors. THANKS, TRACY. Summer has arrived at Alki.

Henchbot May 23, 2009 (2:57 am)

its still happening although the perimteer has moved. What in hell has happened to our block this summer!

Lee May 23, 2009 (3:03 am)

Thanks, Tracy, for jumping on this. Wow, that chopper is loud. It’s great to have a place to go to find out what’s happening right up to the minute. You’re the best!

WSB May 23, 2009 (3:03 am)

I heard some scanner talk of Point Place – I know that’s a little bit further west toward the point. There’s not always an overnight commander at this precinct so if I don’t get hard-and-fast details tonight we’ll be checking over the wknd … but in the meantime, still monitoring … TR

J. May 23, 2009 (3:06 am)

I’m just south of the Statue of Liberty replica and the chopper was circling with the center seemingly right over my house. It now seems to be very slowly shifting west. I’d say the center of its circle is now over the lighthouse…And now it’s flown away heading east. Finally!

JanS May 23, 2009 (3:09 am)

helicopter just flew over headed south(3:05am) ..Admiral District behind Safeway…so…maybe they’re done?

Alki Resident May 23, 2009 (3:10 am)

Quiet now near Spuds. Police cars have left.

59th Ave SW Resident May 23, 2009 (3:11 am)

Sounds like it’s finally gone-but it is most unsettling to wake up to that helicopter circling! I walked outside and saw a police car at the end of 59th and wish I would have read this first to know a search was on. Would the cops really bring out the helicopter and multiple cars for something not that serious? First the shooting, now this! Bracing for summer….

WSB May 23, 2009 (3:17 am)

Probably an interesting followup story sometime for us to find out about helicopter criteria. Yes, they do sometimes get deployed in burglary or car theft situations, and it always seems to be related to whether police are truly in hot pursuit and might need aerial support. Also, what’s impossible to tell from the scanner, of course, is whether they might be pursuing suspects they know to be repeat offenders, and thereby extra valuable to catch …

alki_2008 May 23, 2009 (3:28 am)

Knew I could check on WSB to find out what was going on with the circling helicopter. My guess is a burglary or vandalism of some sort, especially with a lot of people out-of-town for the long weekend with empty homes/apts. Look forward to seeing the follow-up tomorrow (er, later today). :)
.
On another note, there was quite a noticeable police presence on Alki today. Not sure if that’s a sign of what the summer will be like, but hopefully Alki isn’t consuming an inordinate proportion of police resources. Let’s just get some cameras! ;)

Shauna May 23, 2009 (3:50 am)

Really like that follow-up story idea. Would be great to know more info on when and why police chopper is dispatched. Criminals often seem to run toward the general direction of our house when something goes wrong on alki so I was truly scared tonight with chopper shaking the house, waking up at 3am to flashing lights through bedroom window. Terrifying.

JimmyG May 23, 2009 (6:43 am)

If the helicopter is available and nearby they’ll respond to any call the police ask for assistance with. It doesn’t have to be a violent crime for them to respond.

People should stop panicking when they hear it. What is it with WS that a helicopter gets everyone so fired up? Even when it’s the media copters posters think it’s the end of the world.

60th St. Mark May 23, 2009 (8:23 am)

Anyone have any more information this morning on what happened?

Cami May 23, 2009 (8:52 am)

Haven’t heard, but I’m still sleepy! I haven’t heard a helicopter hover in the area that long since that small plane pilot tried to fake his own death and dumped his plane off Alki Beach!

Admiral May 23, 2009 (9:05 am)

Yes, more info would be nice. Waking up to the chopper circling overhead near the lighthouse, a quick blip of a siren on the ground and a bit later a police cruiser had lights flashing and pointing into neighbors yards… makes a person curious to say the least.

Just Me May 23, 2009 (10:15 am)

Tracy and Company, you guys are the best! We were woken up very early this morning as well by the helicopter. I said “let’s turn on the WS Blog”, I am sure Tracy has an angle on this, and YES you did!

How do you ever get any good rest? We are just glad that YOU do what you do and SO WELL!!

Thanks..

WSB May 23, 2009 (11:52 am)

Short answer re: is there more info yet: No.
.
Long answer:
.
It was a really busy night for police in other areas of the city — since the Alki call did not appear to involve injury, while some of the other incidents did (there were a couple shootings – anyone who looks at our Twitter feed
http://twitter.com/westseattleblog
will note we often write one-liners about non-WS events like that mostly because no other news organization is up tracking them and we do have non-WS subscribers there … Anyway. SPD has not posted an update on this and my usual overnight contact was not on. I have left a message for the on-call citywide media officer, which is generally only supposed to be done in case of major breaking news, hoping that maybe if he has occasion to go back into SPDBlotter later for other updates, he can throw in a few lines about whatever this was … We’ll be on duty all weekend as always, of course, though likely updating a little less often than usual, unless breaking news happens … TR

WSB May 23, 2009 (12:22 pm)

Update: Just added a line here and writing a separate full report in a few minutes. It was a break-in/attempted break-in at Alki Elementary. (Window was broken but they’re not sure yet if “entry was made” or anything taken.)

Alki resident May 24, 2009 (11:17 am)

I live between 61st-62nd, WOW! A window was broke my sleep was interupted all because our cities FINEST had to have fun at our expense… I wonder how much of my taxes paid for this little game of theres, I didn’t know that war games existed on Alki.. They must have had nothing better to do then to bring the G-dam military to search for 2 boys… Does anyone else see a problem with this??? A helicopter, K-9’s, and enough man power to quarantine the western half of the United States… Really, no seriously, really… Find something better to do on a perfectly quite night!

Been here a long time May 26, 2009 (8:37 pm)

To “Alki Resident,”
Sorry to say… I have spent a whole month listening to 90% of my neighbors yell about how there are not enough police on Alki.
The community made it clear
More police now! More more more, now now now!
Well, my neighbors spoke, and now they police are here.
I even saw two police in front of Salty’s and one at the 7-11. Three along the strip.
6 patrols on a Tuesday… Wow.
We demanded a police state.
Well, we got it.

Sorry, comment time is over.