New King County helicopter helps capture armed robbery suspects

KING COUNTY, Wash. – The King County Sheriff’s Office has expanded its air support unit with a brand new helicopter. The office launched the Bell 407GXi, known as Guardian One, in October.

The aircraft was built to land quickly and smoothly in unpredictable conditions. It is the Air Support Unit’s most advanced multi-mission helicopter in service.

“This air support is an essential part of our public safety mission. In addition to rescue calls, the crew assists with robberies, missing person searches and can assist in the safe pursuit of high speed pursuits,” said Sheriff Patti Cole.

The air support unit now has two Guardian One helicopters, with the lead aircraft being the $6 million Bell 407GXi.

“It has 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 going on.”

Since its entry into service, the Air Support Unit has responded to countless requests for help using the Bell 407GXi. Some of those calls led to 13 arrests, including three suspects charged in King County with 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 on the night of November 15 in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Guardian One assisted Tukwila and Seattle officers tracking the suspect’s car from the air.

“The ability to get somewhere very quickly,” Mullinax said. “We catch a lot of bad guys.”

The new Guardian One replaces the Vietnam-era Bell 206 helicopter, fondly known as “The Old Lady.”

“We retired the ‘Old Lady,’ which was the patrol helicopter from the 1970s that had 25,000 hours on it, and it was ready to retire,” said Jeff Flohr, chief of the sheriff’s office’s Special Operations Division. “We are excited to go to work with a new helicopter.”

Mullinax said the 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 lacked equipment that would have increased crew safety and public safety.

“I had found a lot of things wrong with it and also because of its age, like spare parts for some of the electrical components just weren’t available. And so, I was living on hope and prayer,” Mullinax said.

While retiring the old lady, the Air Support Unit began campaigning in 2023, asking Washington state legislators to support King County’s proposal to fund a new helicopter.

“That was a big ask. This was a multi-million dollar piece of equipment that would last maybe up to a decade,” Mullinax said.

Their big plea to lawmakers was supported by several law enforcement agencies that rely on the Air Support Unit for help. From local departments to the Washington State Patrol to the FBI, all wrote letters to the state asking for support in funding the new helicopter.

State lawmakers responded to the call with a stamp of approval.

“We thank our legislators for hearing and responding to the call for help. Thank you,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.

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