Hall County, Texas – Early Friday morning, cellphones across the state buzzed with an alert.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) issued a Blue Alert just before 5 a.m., notifying residents about a wanted suspect in Memphis, Texas, a small town located in Hall County within the Texas Panhandle.
The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Seth Altman, was named in the alert. Altman is wanted for his involvement in an incident concerning a law enforcement officer, though further details were not immediately available.
Altman, described as a white male, stands 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 220 pounds, and has red hair and blue eyes. He was last seen in the 200 block of South 4th Street in Memphis, approximately 90 miles southeast of Amarillo and 275 miles northwest of Dallas.
The alert cautioned Texans not to approach Altman but to call 911 immediately if they spot him.
While AMBER and Silver Alerts are more commonly used for missing persons, Blue Alerts are issued specifically when authorities need assistance locating suspects involved in serious crimes against law enforcement officers.
What is a Texas Blue Alert?
According to the Texas DPS, the criteria for issuing a Blue Alert are as follows:
- A law enforcement officer must have been killed or seriously injured by the suspect.
- The suspect must be determined to pose a serious risk or threat to the public and other law enforcement officers.
- A detailed description of the suspect’s vehicle or license plate (even partial information) must be available for public broadcast.
- The investigating law enforcement agency must request the activation of the Blue Alert through the Texas DPS.
The Blue Alert system is intended to quickly spread critical information and enlist public assistance in the search for dangerous suspects.