Blue Alert in Texas wakes residents as search for suspect Seth Altman continues after deputy injury

Millions of Texans were jolted awake just before 5:00 AM on Friday when a Blue Alert was issued across the state. The alert, which informs the public, law enforcement, and media about suspects who have injured or killed law enforcement officers, was triggered in Hall County, Texas, following an incident involving 33-year-old Seth Altman.

Altman, described as a 6-foot-2, 220-pound white male, is wanted in connection with the injury of a Hall County deputy, located roughly four and a half hours northwest of Dallas. There was no vehicle description provided in the alert, and authorities are continuing their search for the suspect.

The Blue Alert caused frustration among many Texans, who expressed their discontent on X (formerly Twitter) due to the timing of the alert. "Seth Altman just pissed off the entire state of Texas," one user commented. Another user, Matt Hopkins, criticized the emergency alert system, tweeting, "Texas sending a ‘blue alert’ at 4:50am in the morning is an abuse of the emergency alert system. How many people were woken up in the middle of their sleep by it?"

Hall County officials have not provided further updates on Altman’s whereabouts, and the search is ongoing.