TEXAS — This week, millions across Texas received a Blue Alert for 43-year-old Royce Edward Wood, who is accused of shooting a police officer during a traffic stop in Wise County Sunday night.
Wood is considered armed and dangerous, and he’s still on the run.
The Texas Department of Public Safety controls these alerts and explained that Blue Alerts are similar to Amber Alerts. They’re used to warn the public about people accused of killing or seriously injuring police or law enforcement.
“Law enforcement is needing help,” Sgt. Johnny Bures with DPS said. “With the Blue Alert, there’s a violent criminal that’s out … These suspects are violent and have already committed violent acts, and now, they’re on the run so we’re trying to apprehend them as quickly as possible.”
The alert is a way of enlisting the help of people across Texas in finding and arresting the wanted individual.
“[We] push that out to a bigger audience because you never know where these suspects are running off to,” Bures said.
