New King County helicopter helps capture serial armed robbery suspects
KING COUNTY, Wash. - The King County Sheriff’s Office expanded its Air Support Unit with a brand-new helicopter. The office debuted the Bell 407GXi, known as Guardian One, in October.
The aircraft was built to land quickly and smoothly in unpredictable conditions. It’s the Air Support Unit’s most advanced multi-mission helicopter in service.
"This air support is an essential part of our mission of public safety. In addition to rescue calls, the crew assists on robberies, searches for missing people, and can help safely track high speed pursuits," said Sheriff Patti Cole.
The Air Support Unit now has two Guardian One helicopters, with the $6 million Bell 407GXi being the primary aircraft.
"It’s got some pretty amazing capabilities that just make us safer," said Anthony Mullinax, a pilot with the Air Support Unit. "We’re able to respond very quickly from the air to things that are in progress."
Since its launch into service, the Air Support Unit has responded to countless calls for help using the Bell 407GXi. Some of those calls resulted in 13 captures, including three suspects charged in King County for at least six armed robberies at convenience stores and gas stations in South Seattle and Tukwila.
The male suspects, ages 14, 19, and 21, were arrested the night of Nov. 15 in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Guardian One assisted officers in Tukwila and Seattle by tracking the suspect’s getaway car from the air.
"Getting the ability for us to really quickly get somewhere," said Mullinax. "We catch a lot of bad guys."
The new Guardian One replaces the unit’s Vietnam-era helicopter, the Bell 206, fondly known as the "Old Lady."
"We retired the ‘Old Lady,’ which was the 1970s patrol helicopter that had 25,000 hours on it, and it was ready to retire," said Jeff Flohr, chief of the Special Operations Division at the sheriff’s office. "We’re excited to get to work with a new helicopter."
Mullinax said repairs to the old Bell 206 totaled more than the helicopter was worth. The older, slower aircraft also limited the number of pilots on board due to weight restrictions, and it lacked equipment that would have enhanced the safety of the crew and the safety of the public.
"We were finding a lot of things wrong with it and also because of its age, like, spare parts for some of the electrical components were simply not available. And so, we were living on a hope and prayer," said Mullinax.
While retiring the Old Lady, the Air Support Unit hit the campaign trail in 2023, asking Washington state legislators to support King County’s proposal to fund a new helicopter.
"This was a big ask. This was a multi-million dollar piece of equipment that’s going to serve for maybe up to a decade," said Mullinax.
Their big ask of legislators was backed up by several law enforcement agencies that rely on the Air Support Unit for help. From local departments to Washington State Patrol, and the FBI, they all wrote letters to the state asking for support to fund the new helicopter.
State lawmakers answered the call with a stamp of approval.
"Thank you to our legislators for hearing and responding to the call for help. Thank you," said Dow Constantine, King County Executive.
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