FCC will get 1000’s of complaints for early morning Blue Alert over Texas police chief shot by armed suspect

The Federal Communications Fee has acquired 1000’s of complaints from indignant Texans over an early morning notification to their cellphones in regards to the taking pictures of a police chief final week.

The Blue Alert rattled gadgets simply earlier than 5 a.m. on Oct. 4 in an effort to seek out and arrest Seth Altman, 33, who’s the topic of a manhunt over the taking pictures of Memphis Police Chief Rex Plant within the Texas Panhandle. 

The FCC mentioned it has acquired 4,500 complaints in regards to the security alert.

It was not clear how the company would deal with the grievances. 

The FCC instructed Fox Information Digital it doesn’t ship the notifications, noting that its major function is to undertake technical and operational guidelines for the communications suppliers that ship alerts to the general public.

Plant and one other officer have been serving an arrest warrant on Altman at his house on Thursday night time for a suspected housebreaking, the Texas Division of Public Security (DPS) mentioned.

Altman opened fireplace and struck Plant earlier than operating away, authorities mentioned. 

The police chief was flown to a hospital in Lubbock the place he stays in secure situation. 

Altman has been added to Texas’ High 10 Most Needed Fugitives listing and is needed for tried capital homicide of a peace officer, DPS mentioned.

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a $10,000 reward for info resulting in his seize.

Sheridan Nolen, the DPS press secretary, instructed Fox Information Digital that Blue Alerts are supposed to warn the general public of doable hazard.

“They’re designed to hurry up the apprehension of violent criminals who kill or critically wound regulation enforcement officers by producing suggestions and leads for the investigating businesses, and subsequently giving these businesses the very best alternative to apprehend a harmful legal,” Nolen mentioned. 

On Monday, Crime Stoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County in Kansas mentioned Altman could also be in its space.

“Seth could also be within the Wichita Metro Space,” Crime Stoppers mentioned in a Fb put up, noting that he stands about 6 toes, 2 inches tall, weighs round 220 kilos and wears glasses.

The Blue Legislation program was signed into Texas regulation in 2008. 

Standards for sending the alert consists of when a regulation enforcement officer is killed or critically harm, when a suspect poses a severe danger or risk to the general public, and when there’s a detailed description of the offender’s automobile, automobile tag or partial tag that should be obtainable for broadcast to the general public.

The investigating regulation enforcement company should additionally advocate it, in line with the DPS web site.