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Just in case you wondered too: Helicopter loops
March 29, 2022 10:30 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | West Seattle news

That’s a screengrab from Flightradar24 a few minutes ago, showing the loops the King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Guardian One has been flying. We’ve received a few questions from people wondering if there’s an incident; no, just loops, as far north as Lincoln Park and as far south as Des Moines. This happens every so often. Whether it’s training or patroling, we don’t know, but will inquire tomorrow.

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UPDATE: Helicopter-assisted search in Highland Park ends with arrest, gun seizure
February 9, 2022 4:31 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   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.

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Helicopter search after driver crashes stolen pickup truck
January 19, 2022 6:41 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

Thanks for the tips. Our photo above shows a crashed stolen pickup truck that’s related to the King County Sheriff’s Office Guardian One helicopter search that’s been under way over 26th SW south of Roxbury. Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Kennamer told us at the scene that KCSO got word from Seattle Police that the stolen pickup was headed their way. Its driver crashed near 26th/100th and took off running. They’ve been searching with the helicopter and two K-9 teams but haven’t found the driver yet.

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UPDATE: Helicopter over High Point
December 3, 2021 4:12 pm
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | High Point | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

4:12 PM: Thanks for the texts. So far all we know is that Guardian One is helping search for a missing person.

4:23 PM: Search over. The missing person, a child, was found safe at home.

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UPDATE: Why the Guardian One helicopter was over West Seattle
November 5, 2021 10:38 pm
|      32 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

10:38 PM: Getting a few questions about this. The Guardian One helicopter crew was passing by when, they told dispatch, they picked up a Lojack signal indicating a stolen car, so that’s what it’s helping police with right now. They’re over Morgan Junction right now.

10:47 PM: They have the car in sight; police should be arriving on the ground momentarily.

10:49 PM: Officers have arrived; the car’s unoccupied, and the helicopter should be moving on.

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About those after-midnight military helicopters
September 8, 2021 11:29 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | West Seattle news

(2017 US Army photo, UH-60 Black Hawk from 16th Combat Aviation Brigade)

Very early this morning, we noted on Twitter that a low, loud passing helicopter was identified on tracking software as a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk (similar to the one above). As it headed up the West Seattle shoreline, another one was flying over Vashon Island; it too crossed the peninsula, but headed east over Lake Washington, while the first one turned around and headed back south. Today, also via Twitter, we learned these were training flights. The 16th Combat Aviation Brigade (from Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Tacoma) said, “As the days become ‘shorter,’ our pilots will fly earlier in the evening to complete required night vision training flights. In the summer it does not get dark enough, early enough, to fly under night vision at hours when most people are still awake.” They added that, “At a given moment, during weekdays, there are several 16th CAB helicopters in the air all over western and central Washington.” More often than not, military aircraft aren’t identified on standard online flight trackers, but the two we heard in the midnight hour last night were.

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About the U.S. Coast Guard search off West Seattle
September 2, 2021 1:44 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | West Seattle news

Several readers have asked about a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and boat appearing to have been searching off West Seattle’s west-facing shore in the past few hours. We just checked with USCG Public Affairs. They explain they were called in because of an unoccupied “dinghy” – they found it and via a cell phone in it, traced its owner to Manchester (near the Southworth ferry dock). The owner said that the dinghy had gotten loose; it’s since been returned to its owner.

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UPDATE: Man shot, killed near Roxbury Shell
July 29, 2021 8:09 pm
|      114 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

(Added: WSB photos)

8:09 PM: If you’re hearing all the sirens – King County Sheriff’s Deputies and medics are converging on the Shell station at Roxbury/(corrected) 28th, where a shooting victim was found. Radio communication so far indicates they’re not yet sure where the victim was shot – possibly somewhere nearby, and then ran to the store before collapsing. Deputies are reporting a vehicle with bullet holes, too. Updates as we get them.

8:15 PM: So far they’re investigating the possibility it might have happened near Roxbury Lanes; the shot-up vehicle is in that area. Also note, the Guardian One helicopter is headed this way to assist in the search.

8:25 PM: The shooter is believed to have gotten away in a vehicle – no clear description yet – so the helicopter has moved on; deputies are also checking the Roxbury Safeway parking lot. The victim is getting treatment indicating life-threatening wounds and will be taken to the hospital by medic unit.

8:43 PM: The victim’s headed for Harborview; deputies are still talking to potential witnesses and trying to narrow down where exactly the gunfire happened. We’re told the car with the bullet holes may just have been caught in the crossfire. Meantime, KCSO confirms the victim’s injuries are life-threatening (reported in the early going as at least three gunshot wounds) and says “this will likely remain an active scene for several hours.”

10:07 PM: We’ve been monitoring, but no further updates.

9:31 AM: King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Tim Meyer confirms the victim died overnight. No arrest so far.

FRIDAY NIGHT NOTE: We’re aware that our coverage is being pointed to by websites claiming the victim was a well-known rapper. So far we have no confirmation of his ID, not even his age, but we’ll update if and when we get that from a credible source.

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About last night’s U.S. Coast Guard helicopter search off West Seattle
July 3, 2021 9:42 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | West Seattle news

Several people asked us about a helicopter search off the west-facing West Seattle shore late last night. Flight trackers showwed it was a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter. We checked with USCG Public Affairs just now and they told us they had responded to a salvage company’s report of a “red flare” in the area. They looked from both air and sea, and found nothing, nor could they get other confirmation of a sighting, even from Washington State Ferries, and no one was reported missing, so the search was eventually called off.

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About that two-helicopter U.S. Coast Guard flyby
July 1, 2021 10:07 pm
|    Comments Off on About that two-helicopter U.S. Coast Guard flyby
 |   Helicopter | West Seattle news

(Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Cynthia Oldham)

At the podium in the photo is U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Anthony “Jack” Vogt, and he’s the reason that two USCG helicopters flew together along the west coast of West Seattle late this afternoon. A retirement reception was being held for Rear Adm. Vogt at Alki Point Lighthouse, celebrating 35 years of service, and we confirmed with the Coast Guard tonight that it was the reason for the flyby. Earlier in the day, he turned over the 13th Coast Guard District command to Rear Adm. Melvin Bouboulis during a ceremony at the USCG base downtown. As the announcement of the change explains, the 13th District covers “all Coast Guard operations throughout the Pacific Northwest which encompasses the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, and includes more than 4,400 miles of coastline, 600 miles of inland waterways, and a 125 nautical mile international border with Canada.” Rear Adm. Vogt has been 13th District commander for the past two years. RADM Bouboulis previously served as Director of Operational Logistics at USCG headquarters in Washington, D.C.

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WEATHER: How hot is it? So hot, a helicopter showed up
June 21, 2021 4:18 pm
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Since we’ve received lots of questions about this via various messaging channels, email, text, and Twitter – we’ll mention it here too: The TV helicopter over Alki was just there for a live picture of the beach as part of the “gosh, it’s hot” coverage at the start of the 4 pm newscast. How hot IS it, you ask? 88 degrees at Sea-Tac at 4 pm – one degree short of the record for this date. Tomorrow’s expected to be cooler but by Friday, we could see the 90s.

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UPDATE: About the helicopter over Fauntleroy
May 28, 2021 3:56 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | Helicopter | West Seattle news

3:56 PM: You might have guessed this already, but if not, the helicopter’s here for the traditional holiday-weekend-getaway-day flyover over the Fauntleroy ferry dock. No extreme backup, though, at last report from Washington State Ferries.

4:17 PM: Shortly after we published that, WSF tweeted that the Fauntleroy terminal now has a 90-minute wait. The helicopter, meantime, has moved on.

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VIDEO: Police search after 2 shot near 1st Avenue South Bridge
April 22, 2021 8:56 am
|      32 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(Added – WSB photo)

8:56 PM: Big police and fire response in the 6900 block of 2nd SW, near the 1st Avenue South Bridge. They’re looking for a man who is reported to have shot two people. The Guardian One helicopter was called out too. No other information yet.

9:07 AM: Police say the shooting is reported to have happened at “an encampment” in the area.

9:36 AM: We’ve talked to SPD spokesperson Det. Patrick Michaud at the scene. He says it happened around 8:30 am; both victims are at Harborview, (updated) a man and a woman, and that “many shots” were fired, The shooter was described as male, Black, short or no hair, possibly associated with a Dodge sedan, maybe a Challenger. K9 and helicopter are still helping search the area. We’ll add video of the briefing when it’s uploaded. (Added – here it is:)

10:01 AM: Update on the victims from SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo – ages approximate – 20-year-old man in critical condition, 28-year-old woman in serious condition.

12:06 PM: Additional information from the preliminary SPD summary:

At approximately 0830, the male and female victims were inside of their vehicle in an encampment located at the 6900 BLK of 2 Ave SW. The (shooter) walked up and fired several rounds inside the vehicle, striking the victims in the arm, abdomen, and torso. The (shooter) left on foot. Officers arrived and set up containment. Guardian 1, K99, Traffic Units, and SWAT, responded to the scene and assisted with the area search. The (shooter) wasn’t located. A witness on scene said that the same suspect was inside of a White newer model Dodge Charger or Challenger prior to the shooting.

1:06 PM: More information from police about the “many shots” that were fired – they found “seven 9mm fired cartridge casings (and) three 9mm rounds” at the scene.

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SEEN OVER WEST SEATTLE: Army helicopters with something extra
April 12, 2021 10:10 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | West Seattle news

Thanks to David for sending the photo. We got questions about those helicopters when they flew past Alki this evening, but no visual down here, and they didn’t show on the flight tracker we use, so they were a mystery until the photo came in. Discussion on Twitter notes that not only are they U.S. Army Chinooks flying out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, they have booms in front for mid-air refueling, which means they’re MH-47 special-operations helicopters.

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UPDATE: Shooting at 30th/Roxbury
March 11, 2021 7:22 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

(Added: WSB photo)

7:22 PM: A Seattle Fire “scenes of violence” response is headed to 30th/Roxbury after a report of gunfire, possibly a drive-by shooting that left cars damaged too. One person is reported injured. The Guardian One helicopter may be joining the search. More to come.

7:29 PM: Though SPD and SFD are assisting, most of this is unfolding on the county side of Roxbury. The vehicle description so far: Black Charger, last seen southbound on 30th. Guardian One is arriving in the area.

7:39 PM: Deputies have told dispatch that witnesses said two other people were shot but left the scene to go directly to a hospital. The victim who was at the scene when SFD medics arrived is being taken to Harborview. … At the scene, we’re told only that the victim is male. Meantime, Guardian One has moved on, as the shooter is believed to be long gone.

(Added: WSB photo – broken glass by van is from window being shot out)

8 PM: Deputies tell us this all happened at the gas station. We’re checking on the victim’s condition; haven’t heard anything further about other possible victims. Traffic at the scene is back to normal now that the initially sizable SFD response has left.

8:19 PM: SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo tells WSB the victim taken to the hospital by their medics is 18 and was transported in stable condition.

ADDED 12:29 PM FRIDAY: KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Tim Meyer tells WSB that the investigation continues and “I am not aware of additional victims and know of no arrests.”

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UPDATE: Child found safe in West Seattle after helicopter, ground search
January 28, 2021 11:24 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | High Point | West Seattle news

11:24 PM: The Guardian One helicopter is helping Seattle Police search for a missing child. There’s no official bulletin out about him but what we heard on police radio was that he’s 9 years old, Black, about 4’5″, in a pink shirt. No other info about description or circumstances, so far.

11:49 PM: No word of the child’s whereabouts yet, nor have police issued a bulletin asking for the public’s help. Listening back to police-radio discussion from before the helicopter dispatch caught our attention, they are looking into the possibility he’s with a family member other than the one who reported him missing.

12:04 AM: Police have just now tweeted the child’s photo and name.

12:23 AM: Per scanner, the aforementioned family member has told police she has the child and he’s safe.

12:47 AM: Police have confirmed in person that he’s OK.

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UPDATE: Police search in Highland Park, suspect arrested
January 27, 2021 3:03 pm
|      30 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | Highland Park | West Seattle news

3:03 PM: Thanks for the tips. The Guardian One helicopter is assisting police in a search for a suspect. We’re still trying to get details but police confirm it’s related to an assault. It happened near 6th and Kenyon. A victim is being taken to the hospital. More details as we get them.

3:16 PM: As noted in comments, K-9 is helping search too. They’re also extending the search east to West Marginal Way in case the attacker fled through the greenbelt.

3:31 PM: A little more info from police – who describe this as a “domestic-violence assault.” We don’t have a description but are going back through archived audio to see if one was put out over the air earlier.

4:13 PM: They’re still searching. Here’s the description from archived audio: Hispanic man, 20s, 6′, medium build, “full tattoo sleeve” on one arm, blue crew-neck shirt, tan shorts.

4:25 PM: Just in case you’re wondering – Guardian One is leaving, but the suspect remains at large.

7:20 PM: We’re covering the HPAC meeting, where Southwest Precinct Lt. Chris Johnson just said they know who the suspect is, and “there’s a whole lot of people looking for him.” The suspect, he said, had been arrested for a crime against the same victim, got out of jail, and attacked the same victim again.

9:13 AM: We learned this morning from Southwwst Precinct commander Capt. Kevin Grossman that the suspect is now in custody. (We are following up further on the case and the reported previous arrest.)

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WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Business burglars take truck, bonuses, booze; car smash-and-grab; toolbox turns up; helicopter search
December 22, 2020 6:57 pm
|      38 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

(Updated 8:13 pm with helicopter search)

Four West Seattle Crime Watch notes:

BUSINESS BURGLARY: Thanks for the tips about Whisky West‘s break-in. We haven’t been able to get the police report, but this afternoon we spoke with general manager Mike Sweet. He tells WSB it happened around 4:30 am Sunday. Two men whose faces weren’t visible due to masks and hoodies broke in through a side door and looked around – they didn’t seem to exhibit any familiarity with the restaurant/bar, but eventually found their way into the office, and stole the safe, which contained money to be distributed to the staff as holiday bonuses. They also took about $4,000 in liquor, some food, and keys they used to take a business truck (white 2007 Ford F-150). Sweet launched a crowdfunding account to try to replace the bonus money and says it’s had a good response already. Meantime, if you have any info, the police report number is 20-348992.

CAR SMASH-AND-GRAB: This happened to Peter in the 9700 block of 33rd SW:

He says it happened Saturday night: “Our car was broken into … parked right underneath a streetlight.”

STOLEN AND DUMPED? Susanna found this toolbox near a South Admiral corner:

She moved it out of the street onto the sidewalk, “out of the way of cars.” If it might be yours, let us know and we will pass along location info.

ADDED 8:13 PM – HELICOPTER SEARCH: Guardian One is in the area, assisting with a search in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, just uphill from West Marginal Way. According to radio communication, police are looking for a suspect in a harassment/threats case who is possibly armed with a knife. … The search is also covering Puget Ridge. We don’t have a description of the suspect, other than that he’s a juvenile. … (8:49 pm) The helicopter has moved on to another call. We don’t know the suspect’s status.

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CRIME WATCH: North Shorewood crash, gunfire; plus – freeway attack
December 7, 2020 3:14 pm
|      42 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

3:14 PM: Two Crime Watch reports:

NORTH SHOREWOOD INCIDENT: Avoid the 26th/107th [map] intersection for a while. King County Sheriff’s Deputies are swarming the area after a crash (updated) that followed gunfire from a car a short time ago; the intersection is blocked off. One person is reported to be in custody and another possible suspect is being sought. The Guardian One helicopter has just arrived in the area to help look. We have a crew on the way and will add more information as we get it.

3:27 PM: The helicopter involvement was short-lived. Deputies have described the car from which someone was shooting as a white BMW sedan. … We’re at the scene now, added a photo, working to find out how the injured people are doing. … 3:43 pm: The newly arrived helicopter is TV, not law enforcement. … 4:29 pm: The KCSO public-information sergeant is now at the scene so we should be able to get some updated info soon. The intersection is taped off, so that’s not likely to reopen for some time.

4:41 PM: We just talked to KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Tim Meyer. He says the car that was being shot at is a Toyota Corolla carjacked in Seatac (updated) on Saturday; it collided with two other cars at 26th/107th.

Two people were in the Corolla after the crash, 1 ran, and was subsequently found. All three plus two people from the other cars were hurt, but none by gunfire so far as authorities can tell. No major injuries. The car from which someone shot at the Corolla, after some kind of dispute, is still at large. The three people in the Corolla are described as in their teens. KCSO expects the intersection to be closed for at least 2 more hours. We have all this on video and will add that when our crew’s back. (added) Here it is:

7:35 PM: Nearby resident Jim says the vehicles are being towed, so the intersection might not be closed much longer.

Also in Crime Watch:

FREEWAY ATTACK: Andrew, who lives in Gatewood, sent the photos and report after an incident on I-5 southbound this past Sunday:

A chunk of concrete was intentionally thrown at our windshield. It was I-5 southbound carpool lane [north of the West Seattle Bridge]. I was going 50 mph.

It nearly killed me/us. My 13-year-old daughter was also with me, front passenger seat. This was a frisbee sized chunk of concrete. It went through the windshield 1″ from my right ear.

My phone was in the dash mount and was destroyed. The headliner is ruined. It went through the car and broke the tailgate glass and landed on the tailgate floor. I still have the chunk of concrete. It’s a amazing that we are alive and not injured. 5 other cars had debris thrown at them. I saw the guy on the shoulder of the road. Just behind the low concrete wall. He popped up and threw it at me from 50 feet or so in-front.

Andrew says the thrower was “wearing a black coat, black hat. He climbed up from below to stand on a ledge on the shoulder of the carpool lane. He was directly to my left when I went past him.” We have an inquiry out to the State Patrol about the investigation and other victims. If you have any information, Andrew says the report number is SP.00001131.

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Why the Guardian One helicopter was over South Delridge/White Center
October 19, 2020 7:40 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news | White Center

7:40 PM: Thanks for the texts. Guardian One was circling South Delridge/White Center for a while earlier this evening; just as we were headed out to look on the ground for any signs of a related response, the online flight tracker showed that the helicopter moved on. Then Mike saved the day by tweeting that he’d seen a sizable response in the O’Reilly Auto Parts lot at 17th/Roxbury. We were able to talk briefly to a King County Sheriff’s Office sergeant there; he told us they’re looking for a “fugitive” but would not elaborate further, aside from confirming that the helicopter presence was indeed related. We’re trying to find out more and will update if we do.

9:09 PM: KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott says the person they were seeking is “a homicide suspect wanted out of Seattle.”

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Following up on that mystery helicopter over West Seattle
October 5, 2020 4:53 pm
|      27 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | West Seattle news

This past Thursday night, in the 7-8 pm vicinity, a helicopter hovered very high over south West Seattle for a very long time. We received multiple texts asking about it – mostly from Westwood and Fauntleroy – and saw/heard it ourselves. Nothing showed on flight trackers, and various other inquiries went nowhere, so beyond a mention on Twitter, we didn’t write about it. But we kept checking around the next day, including with a regional FAA spokesperson, who told us today that the best he could find out was “this was some sort of law-enforcement operation.” Not local – we re-checked with the King County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the only law-enforcement helicopters in our area, and KCSO confirmed Guardian One wasn’t up at all Thursday night. The State Patrol operates fixed-wing aircraft, so it wasn’t them either.

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Why Guardian 1 was over Arbor Heights
June 15, 2020 5:47 pm
|      36 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

Sorry that took a while to sleuth – we had to drive over and look around for an officer on the ground to find out why the Guardian One helicopter was over Arbor Heights. They were looking for a domestic-violence suspect in connection with a protection-order violation.

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VIDEO: Helicopter drill at Walt Hundley Playfield
June 9, 2020 2:25 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Helicopter | High Point | West Seattle news

2:25 PM: We are at Walt Hundley Playfield in High Point, where an Airlift Northwest medical helicopter has just landed for the second day of West Seattle drills with SFD.

It’s the same thing they did at Alki yesterday – but the weather’s worse. Updates to come.

2:50 PM: Helicopter has departed. 2 more drills – 2 pm tomorrow at Alki, Thursday at Walt Hundley. Spectators welcome, around the edges of the field.

ADDED 8:41 PM: More photos/video, with a closer look at the helicopter:

Firefighters had a training class before they came to the field for the drill.

SFD has said, air transfers are likely to be very rare if they happen at all- but in case of, say, a total transportation logjam at peak hour, without the West Seattle Bridge, the option needs to be available, and they need to be ready to assist.

Airlift Northwest offers memberships; we asked spokesperson Stephen LeMay about them. “Airlift Northwest membership works with insurance carriers to offset any remaining balance on an aeromedical bill, which can be very expensive. Patients with a membership will *not* receive a bill for their transport, or any services provided during the transport. Membership is *not* required to be eligible for transport. We will fly any patient in need to any hospital regardless of membership or payor status. Airlift Northwest provides over $2 million in charity care every year.”

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