Introduction: That’s why cell

A Blue Alert is one of several public
safety alerts the state issues when
authorities need help finding a person.

HALL COUNTY, Texas – Cell phones
were ringing across
Texas Friday morning.
Shortly before 5 a.m., the Texas
Department of Public Safety issued a

Blue Alert for a wanted
suspect in Memphis,
Texas, a small town in
Hall County, Texas Panhandle.

Based on the alert, 33-year-old
Seth Altman was named as
the wanted suspect.
The alert is intended
to help authorities identify suspects

charged in incidents involving
law enforcement officers.
Altman, described as white, 6 feet tall,

weighing 220
pounds, with red hair and blue
eyes, was last seen
walking around 11 p.m.

Thursday in the 200 block of South
Fourth Street in
Memphis, about 90 miles

southeast of Amarillo
and 445 miles northwest
of Dallas. According
to the alert, Altman
was seen driving onto Route 287.

A blue alert warned
Texans to call 911 and not to approach
him if they saw him. The Texas
Department of
Public Safety said in a
statement that authorities believe

Altman “is involved
in the serious injury
to a law enforcement
officer and poses
a significant danger or threat to the
public or other law
enforcement officers.”

KVII in Amarillo reported that
Plant was attempting
to serve an arrest
warrant against Altman for the
alleged shooting and killing of
Memphis Police Chief Rex Plant.

The plant was taken to a
Lubbock hospital in stable
condition, KVII-TV reported.

A hospital spokesman did not
return a call from
The Associated Press.

What is a Texas Blue Alert? When is it used?

Blue Alerts are one of several
public safety alerts issued across
the state when authorities need
help locating

someone. These are most
often amber or silver
missing person alerts.

A Blue Alert is issued when officers
are looking for someone who may
be involved in killing or seriously
injuring a police officer.

Here are the full criteria for receiving
a Blue Alert, according to the Texas
Department of Public Safety website:

The policeman must have been
killed or seriously
injured by the criminal.

The investigating law enforcement
agency must determine that the offender
poses a serious danger or threat to the
public and other law
enforcement officials.

A detailed
description of the offending
vehicle, trailer or trailer must be
made available to the public.

The law enforcement agency
responsible for activating Blue
Alert must notify the Texas
Department of Public Safety (TPS).

According to the Texas DPS
Emergency Alerts FAQ, statewide
AMBER and BLUE alerts are issued
only between
6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.,

including holidays and weekends.
According to the FAQ list, regional
AMBER and BLUE alert times may vary.