West Seattle, Washington
23 Friday
(First five photos by Oliver Hamlin for WSB)
A few hours into today’s air-and-sea SWAT drill off West Seattle, we had the chance to visit the staging area on Port of Seattle property, where participating officers were boarding helicopters. The “helipad” used for the occasion was a big empty lot just south and uphill from the port-property entrance across from the Harbor Island 7-11.
Three law-enforcement helicopters were coming and going, delivering officers to participating vessels off both the north and west shores of West Seattle, including the King County Water Taxi‘s M/V Sally Fox:
Officers also were deployed from law-enforcement boats:
We asked King County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Division Chief Jeff Flohr, who’s in charge of SWAT and other teams, about the drill scenario and who was involved:
KCSO had three of its four helicopters participating – two were Guardian Twos (the Hueys with the unmistakable low and loud chopping sound – listen to our short clip)
Also participating, one of KCSO’s two Guardian Ones, the newer one; these are the helicopters most seen in crime-related responses, the only law-enforcement helicopters in the region, so they assist other agencies including Seattle Police,.
Though the original announcement had the training running as late as 7 pm, Chief Flohr said the flights will be over no later than 3:30.
That’s one of our photos from a law-enforcement tactical drill off West Seattle shores in 2016. The King County Sheriff’s Office has sent this advance alert of something similar planned for this Thursday:
The King County Sheriff’s Office TAC-30 and Seattle SWAT teams will be conducting a maritime training exercise in West Seattle in support of our regional transit partners on May 22nd, 2025 from 7 am-7 pm. There will be Officers and Deputies near Jack Block Park and the West Seattle Water Taxi Terminal (1660 Harbor Ave SW) wearing SWAT equipment and uniforms. There will also be several police helicopters and vessels operating in the area. There will be no interruption to the normal Water Taxi schedule for commuters. We have made every effort to ensure aircraft flight paths stay over the water as much as possible to minimize any disruptions. King County’s TAC-30 and Seattle SWAT are constantly training to provide the citizens of King County with quality police services.
4:23 PM: That’s the King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Guardian One, which often assists other agencies. We’re working to find out what it’s doing right now – nothing big has been on the SPD frequency, though one officer radio’ed in that they’re “with county.”
4:50 PM: KCSO says it wasn’t them; we’ve been driving around looking on the ground, no sign of a response. So we still don’t know yet.
11:02 PM: The Guardian One helicopter is joining SPD‘s search for two carjacking suspects. According to emergency radio traffic it happened in the Westwood Village area, but the carjackers already have abandoned the Acura SUV they stole. They’re looking for two suspects, one described as wearing all black, with a black face mask, and a gun; they were reported to be running on 25th SW. … Officers report having stopped a possible suspect in the area.
11:11 PM: The ground search includes a K-9, so if you’re in the area, you may hear police’s obligatory announcements of that.
11:30 PM: They’re still searching, including to the north and east of WWV.
11:39 PM: They’ve exhausted the possibilities for now, so the helicopter’s leaving. No further info on the incident, but we’ll of course follow up and add any additional information when it’s available.
ADDED 12:10 PM SATURDAY: Here’s the preliminary summary from SPD:
At 2300 hours, responded to a report of a carjacking that had just occurred at the Westwood Village Shopping Center. The suspects (one armed with a handgun) approached the victims as they were standing outside the vehicle and attempted to pistol whip the driver while suspect #2 simultaneously assaulted the female passenger. The victims complied and the suspects got into the victim vehicle. The vehicle was a newer Acura, and the suspects could not figure out how to shift it into drive. The suspects panicked and fled immediately once they could not manipulate the shifter dial, and the victims managed to maintain possession of their vehicle. Containment was established and KCSO K9 and Guardian One responded to assist.
If you have any information, the incident to refer to is 25-69379.
8:27 PM: The Guardian One helicopter has arrived in Riverview to help police look for an armed suspect. The incident that started at 12th and Webster is logged as an assault, and reported to have involved gunfire, though there was no medical dispatch; we’re still looking into how it started.
8:33 PM: The aerial search has exhausted the possibilities, so Guardian One is leaving; police are still present on the ground.
8:39 PM: According to the dispatch audio, this involved a man firing a gun from one corner of the intersection; no one hit. He was described as an “unknown-race male, 5’9″to 6′, black hoodie, light-blue jeans, white shoes,” wielding a black pistol.
9 PM: In a radio exchange after leaving the scene, police just noted “there were a lot of rounds shot” but no property damage reported. (If you discover any later, be sure to call it in – you can refer to incident 25-060427.)
ADDED THURSDAY PM: We obtained the redacted police narrative, and it includes the excerpt below of what the person identified as the victim told police:
XXXX said that he was in his house when all of a sudden he heard a short string of gunshots from Riverview Playfield. XXXX secured his XXXX (XXXXX) on the outside of his shorts with an open carry holster and stepped out onto the sidewalk of his house. XXXX does not have a concealed carry license, but in WA state, you are allowed to open carry a handgun without a CPL as long as it is not concealed.
(He said the suspect) was walking away from Riverview Playfield Westbound on Sw Webster.
XXXX called out to the male and said, “was that you shooting?”
The male replied, telling XXXX that he was “…just trying out my gun”.
XXXX yelled back at the suspect to not be firing guns in the neighborhood. XXXX claimed that the suspect then fired multiple shots towards him after a heated argument. XXXX said that he drew his handgun and returned fire. The suspect later walked off, possibly either South bound or Westbound.
XXXX said that the shots were exchanged in a North / South direction. …
As I was speaking with XXXX, backing officers located XXXX casings near the roundabout at 12 Ave SW / SW Webster St. We later located XXXX casings from XXXX in his front yard from where he returned fire …A witness/ XXXX caught the shooting on his XXXX at XXXX St. In the video, you can see approximately three gunshots in the lower right hand corner, which would be on the South side of Riverview playfield, just East of 12th Ave SW / SW Webster St. You then see a XXXX walking West on SW Webster St. The male stops at the intersection of 12th Ave SW / SW Webster St when he is being yelled at by XXXX.
Just as XXXX told me, in the video XXXX asks the male if he was the one shooting, which the male replies that “yes, I was trying out my gun”. The two get into a brief argument and an exchange of gunfire happens. From my observation, it appears that XXXX fired his handgun after being shot at by the suspect. I do believe that this was a good self defense shooting. …
We later located XXXX more shell casings in Riverview Playfield, which would’ve been the suspects first rounds fired before shots were exchanged with XXXX.We were unable to locate any property damage or additional victims involved in this shooting.
(Added: WSB photo)
9:23 PM: Police are searching for a “possibly armed” suspect in the Fauntleroy/Findlay/Raymond vicinity, and that’s why the Guardian One helicopter is overhead. A K-9 team is on the ground so if you’re nearby, stay inside. K-9 searches are also why you’ll hear loudspeaker announcements and short bursts of sirens. Updates to come…
9:32 PM: They’re currently focused on the 6000 block of Fauntleroy Way.
9:36 PM: Police are also going to the California/Juneau vicinity after someone there thought they heard gunfire (NOT confirmed so far, and no way to know if it’s related, but we’re mentioning it in case you see that part of the response).
9:48 PM: No word yet on whether anything was found there, but the original K-9 search team has headed south and west, toward California/Morgan/Fauntleroy.
9:58 PM: They have a suspect in custody.
10:03 PM: Guardian One’s crew, leaving, asked “what kind of crime was that?” and an officer replied “Misdemeanor DV [domestic violence] harassment.” We expect more details later.
ADDED 6:15 PM WEDNESDAY: Finally found information about the status of the case, via Seattle Municipal Court documents, which include police-report narrative. The 29-year-old suspect is alleged to have threatened to throw boiling water on his ex-girlfriend, whose apartment he reportedly refuses to move out of. He faces the charge mentioned above and also a charge of obstructing an officer; this all started when they were investigating the threat, and he allegedly ran from police, who had been told he owns guns. He was found on the patio of an apartment building a few doors down from where the original incident happened. This morning Municipal Court Judge Andrea Chin granted his lawyer’s request to release him from jail on personal recognizance. There’s also an order for him not to contact the victim, and to surrender his guns to SPD.
6:34 AM: Thanks for the tips. A helicopter’s been over Gatewood/Fauntleroy a while, but not showing on radar. A reader who heard what sounded like a flashbang said 911 told them there’s a warrant service in the vicinity. We’re working to find out more.
6:41 AM: Multiple texters say they’re seeing police on the ground at a location in Upper Fauntleroy.
7:29 AM: Multiple readers report the location is on 38th SW between Trenton and Henderson. We went through a short time ago and noticed SPD and WSP vehicles still in the vicinity, at the Trenton end.
9:26 AM: SPD’s media office says it has no information on the operation, at least so far. We’re trying other agencies too, and will update here if/when we find out anything.
11:25 AM: Still trying – warrant operations tend to be notoriously difficult to get information about, until/unless court cases result. King County Sheriff’s Office says the helicopter was NOT Guardian One, which often supports other law-enforcement agencies including SPD, but, a KCSO spokesperson tells us, was not flying in support of anything this morning.
5:05 PM: The business day has ended without any additional information emerging; the State Patrol neither responded to nor acknowledged our inquiry. So it’s a mystery for now, but we’re not giving up.
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: The WSP tells us this was a DEA-led operation. We have an inquiry out to the local DEO office to see if they are able to tell us anything more.
5:03 PM: Thanks for the tips! Radar shows that helicopter looping off Alki Point is U.S. Coast Guard. District 13 Public Affairs tells us it’s in a holding pattern waiting to fly over Lumen Field, where the Seahawks are about to play Green Bay.
5:19 PM: Tracker (screenshot above is from Flightradar24.com) shows the helicopter, from Port Angeles, is making that flyover right now.
We’re getting some questions about the King County Sheriff’s Office Guardian One helicopter flying over downtown White Center. According to a bulletin shared over the Seattle Police airwaves and subsequent discussion on KCSO radio, they’re investigating a robbery at 15th/100th. The robber “ran eastbound and linked up with (two other people),” according to KCSO radio. The robber took the victim’s cell phone. No description(s) yet.
9:28 AM: Police are searching in Sunrise Heights/Westwood for two people, at least one of whom bailed out of a vehicle that had two punctured tires. The Guardian One helicopter is joining the search. Police apparently know who they’re looking for because they say both have warrants. The person they know is on foot is described as a white man, tall, thin, dark clothing, in the company of a small dog. The vehicle they’re looking for is a 1988 black Chevrolet pickup. Call 911 if you’ve seen either the suspect or pickup.
9:47 AM: Guardian One hasn’t seen evidence of the truck or suspect(s), so it’s departing the area.
9:53 AM: Police just found the truck in the 7500 block of 24th SW, no one inside.
12:52 PM: Police are converging on West Seattle’s only tiny-home village, Camp Second Chance (9701 Myers Way S.), after a report of gunfire from a unit on the south side of the complex. No word of injuries so far. Police are advising people at the camp to evacuate. People in the area might see the Guardian One helicopter joining the search for the suspected shooter, whose identity police apparently know. Myers Way is closed in the vicinity.
1:02 PM: The suspected shooter is likely still in his unit, police are saying.
1:43 PM: This is basically a standoff now, No resolution yet.
2:07 PM: Guardian One left because police are confident the situation is contained to the camp – they are not searching beyond it.
2:14 PM: The suspect is reported to be talking with officers about surrendering.
2:25 PM: The suspect is in custody, per SPD.
2:43 PM: Myers Way has not reopened yet, so use alternative routes a while longer.
10:57 PM: 911 got a call about racing on Harbor Avenue and Guardian One happened to overhear the dispatch, so volunteered to help with the response.
11:01 PM: After several circles, the helicopter has left our area, headed south.
11:10 PM: Now Guardian One is doing wide loops over South Delridge, White Center, and Arbor Heights. SPD radio is quiet; we’re checking KCSO.
11:18 PM: They’re doing a ground search too in the 22nd SW and SW 97th vicinity, but for what/who, we don’t yet know – except that it apparently involves looking for a car.
11:25 PM: They looked at a possibility but it apparently was an unoccupied vehicle that was not what they were looking for, so the helicopter has moved on. We’ll go back into KCSO dispatch archives a bit to see if the recording clarifies what this was about.
11:48 PM: Archived audio indicates that Guardian One picked up a Lojack signal from a stolen car in that area, a 2006 Jeep Wrangler, stolen within Seattle city limits but pinging to somewhere in the aforementioned area, and they asked if ground crews were available to help look for it. (added) Continuing to listen, they did find the car, abandoned. So that’s when the helicopter left and deputies on the ground took over.
(Added: WSB photo, from South Delridge)
Just in case you missed Wednesday’s hubbub about three U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters from Joint Base Lewis McChord circling in our area, the base finally officially confirmed they were training for a flyover at tonight’s Seahawks game. The game’s about half an hour away and the helicopters are back; we just saw them flying eastward over White Center.
(Added: Photo by Jerry Simmons)
This came up in comments on the report about this afternoon’s Army helicopter sightings. Unrelated but just to close the loop – we were finally able to confirm that the 3:30-4 pm-ish helicopter sighting was Guardian One helping with the search after a robbery reported at Taboo Video in downtown White Center (9913 16th SW). We have a short story on partner site White Center Now and will add anything else we find out from the King County Sheriff’s Office.
(Photo sent by Sally)
2:39 PM: Lots of questions this past hour about U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters over West Seattle. They’re from Joint Base Lewis McChord in Pierce County. We have a message out to Public Affairs there to see if they can comment. But this is far from the first time these types of helicopters have looped the area (and other points between here and the base); more often, we see them at night (flight trackers generally list them), and we’ve been told before that these are training flights.
(Photo sent by Karen)
(update) We’ve added a few more photos – thanks to everyone who’s sent them!
(Photo sent by Mike)
10:42 PM: Consensus (see comments below) seems to have landed on training for a Seahawks Thursday Night Football flyover tomorrow.
10:50 AM THURSDAY: Scott from the JBLM Public Affairs Office just confirmed that’s indeed what was happening. So you may see them over West Seattle again on the way to the flyover before the 5:15 pm game.
(King County Sheriff’s Office photo)
That’s the new Guardian One, the helicopter operated by the King County Sheriff’s Office but also used to support Seattle Police (which have no helicopter of their own) among others. Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall and King County Executive Dow Constantine introduced the new helicopter today at the Renton airport, where it’s based. It’s a Bell 407GXi, which the KCSO announcement says “is designed for quick, smooth landings in unpredictable conditions and will support a wide range of missions, including law enforcement patrol, search and rescue, wildfire response, and more.” Its predecessor was more than 50 years old. KCSO says the county spent almost $6 million on the new helicopter and the state added nearly $1 million. The KCSO Air Support Unit includes the Guardian Two more often used for search and rescue, plus 30+ drones; the county says it’s flown more than 300 missions so far this year, and 480 last year.
Guardian One – our area’s only law-enforcement helicopter – has been out doing loops, first over White Center, then over Westwood, then north of The Junction. Here’s a screenshot from Flightradar24:
No major related incidents that we know of, so far, but some people have texted us, wondering, so we’re mentioning it. (Currently the helicopter’s flying along Alki.)
(Courtesy Mark B. Bauschke Photography)
Thanks to everybody who asked, and sent images, of the U.S. Coast Guard operation off Alki this past hour. We called District 13 Public Affairs to ask; they told us it was a “rescue demonstration.”
(Video sent by Eli Barlag)
(Photo sent by Thomas Bach)
Early warning that you’ll also see USCG non-emergency activity over and off Alki on July 30th – that’s the date for this year’s Seafair Parade of Ships, and the USCG will be participating along with the US Navy and Canadian Navy.
3:05 PM: If you’re noticing police activity in the Westwood Village/Roxhill Park area, it’s because of a shoplift-turned-robbery at the shopping center. According to the dispatch, Ross security tried to stop a shoplifter, who subsequently flashed a gun. They were last seen heading toward Roxhill Park. We haven’t heard a description so far. The Guardian One helicopter is arriving to help with the search.
3:08 PM: According to the description just given to the helicopter crew, they’re looking for a “light-skinned Black man, 25-30, 5’10”, medium build, black face cover, black hoodie with a tie-dye shirt.”
3:22 PM: No one matching that description was in view from the air, so the helicopter has moved on.
5:48 PM: Commenters say the robbery was at Marshalls, not Ross, though the latter is what was initially dispatched. A final written report won’t be available before Monday.
An alert from the King County Sheriff’s Office:
Heads up! Today until 3 PM we are conducting joint training with the King County Water Taxi in Elliott Bay. If you see Guardian One & an increased police presence, there is no cause for alarm.
Guardian One is the KCSO helicopter, which is also used by other law-enforcement agencies including Seattle Police.
(Added: WSB photo, stolen car abandoned at 42nd/Andover)
5:20 PM: Thanks for the texts. Police are searching for a suspect wanted for among other things eluding and hit-run in Admiral. He was reported to be driving a white Crown Victoria, no plates, which police have reported finding at 42nd/Andover and have confirmed to have been stolen. Before being abandoned there, the vehicle is reported to have been involved in a hit-run near Hiawatha, at Walnut/Stevens. The suspect is reportedly on foot, and all we have is a partial description – white man, bald, glasses, dark hoodie or jacket. We’re trying to find out more.
5:26 PM: The Guardian One helicopter will be joining the search. The suspect was last seen southbound from where the stolen car was abandoned – a few more descriptive details: White or Hispanic, in his early 30s, 6′, 200-250 pounds, bald, glasses, dark top.
5:37 PM: After a possible sighting near 45th/Stevens, the search has moved there, including the helicopter. … Police tell us this all started in North Admiral, in an alley in the 2100 block of California.
6:05 PM: No updates since then. The search has apparently dead-ended for now and that’s why the helicopter moved on.
8:29 PM: Police have been pursuing suspects through south West Seattle, White Center, and Burien after a carjacking. While the stolen vehicle is reported to be a white Audi, officers have been pursuing another vehicle believed to be related, a dark gray Hyundai Tucson reported stolen from Federal Way. We don’t yet know exactly where the carjacking happened. The Guardian One helicopter has been assisting; the suspects reportedly have just abandoned the Hyundai in north Burien, with a ground search ensuing too.
(WSB photo added: Police on 35th while investigating nearby carjacking)
8:38 PM: We found police who could confirm to us where the carjacking happened: Alley behind residences in the 9200 block of 35th SW. (The car stolen there was described as a white Audi SQ5; we believe that was traced to south White Center.) Meantime, the ground/air search in north Burien continues.
8:43 PM: Officers have just reported taking one person into custody. They’re searching for the other, in the Salmon Creek Ravine area. Both carjackers were reported to be armed at the time of the original incident.
10:30 PM: The search ended during a gap in our live monitoring due to (a) a change in radio channels and (b) us having to step away from the desk for a short time. So far in trying to catch up with radio recordings, we’ve heard officers report that a stolen gun was recovered, as was a backpack, as were two ski masks, and that the carjacked white Audi (found because of tracking) has already been impounded. What we’re not finding yet: The status of the second suspect.
10:59 PM: Listening to county emergency-radio archives, it sounds like the second suspect was bitten by a police dog and taken for treatment. We will of course follow up on all this with police and prosecutors Monday, but will update sooner if any additional information emerges over the weekend.
9:27 PM: Police are searching by ground and air right now for three people suspected in what they’re describing as a “home-invasion robbery” in the 3600 block of California SW [vicinity map]. The descriptions broadcast so far are a white man, 18, 6′, 190 pounds, white Nike Tech sweatshirt (whose identity may be known), armed with a bb gun; a Black male (age not mentioned), 5’8″, slim, all-black clothing, red Jordan shoes, armed with a hammer; and a Hispanic male (age not mentioned), 6 feet tall, white shoes.
9:46 PM: The helicopter moved on as they’d exhausted the possibilities, plus there was a lag of up to half an hour between when the robbery happened and when it was reported. But officers are still searching on the ground, including checking for video cameras in the area.
FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: We asked SPD for whatever summary/narrative they have. So far: “At (9:08 pm), the victims were inside their apartment located at the 3600 block of California Ave SW. Three (people) entered through the front door and began grabbing items inside the apartment. (They) grabbed the victims’ cell phones, long BB gun, and marijuana products. The victims were able to recover their cell phones, and the (robbers) exited the apartment. Patrol, K9 and Guardian 1 responded to the scene. The suspects weren’t located. The SPD Robbery Unit was notified about the incident. This is an open and ongoing investigation.”
| 4 COMMENTS