Texas governor offers $10K reward for information on fugitive accused of shooting chief

The governor of Texas has issued a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a fugitive accused of shooting at one of the state’s police chiefs and seriously injuring him.

Gov. Greg Abbott made the announcement Friday, adding that 33-year-old Seth Altman is now on the Texas Department of Public Safety's 10 Most Wanted Fugitive List. 

Altman is now wanted for attempted capital murder of a peace officer after he reportedly shot at Rex Plant, Police Chief in Memphis, about 86 miles southeast of Amarillo.

Around 10:50 p.m. Chief Plant and another officer were attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Altman for burglary, the Texas Department of Public Safety told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, part of the USA TODAY network.

While they were trying to serve the warrant, Altman pulled out a gun, fired multiple times and shot Plant. The suspect fled the scene on foot and Plant was taken to a hospital in Lubbock, Gov. Abbott said in his statement.

According to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Altman was last seen in the 200 block of South Fourth Street in Memphis around 11 p.m. Thursday. He was wearing a blue T-shirt and blue jeans.

Gov. Abbott said the suspect is 6-feet-2 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds. He has blue eyes and red or auburn hair and “should be considered armed and dangerous.”

Blue Alert wakes Texans up early Friday morning

The morning after the shooting, the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a Blue Alert for Altman. Blue Alerts are issued when someone is involved in the killing or serious injury of a law enforcement officer, according to the department.

When the Blue Alert for Altman went off in the early hours of Friday morning, Texans took to social media to post about it. The Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management shared Altman’s photos and commented as well. 

Calling Altman “the scumbag who is wanted in connection with an assault on a police officer,” the office posted his photo. The office also said there is no word on the police chief’s condition.

A woman claiming to be a relative of the chief shared on Facebook Friday night that Plant had undergone surgery and would require more.

“Please pray for him and the family,” the woman wrote. “Pray that they catch the man that shot him.”

Read more:Blue alert issued in Hall County, Texas for man suspected of injuring police officer

How to submit tips 

Gov. Abbott said those who submit tips leading to Altman’s capture can only get a reward if they send in information the following ways:

• Call the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-8477.
• Submit a web tip through the Texas 10 Most Wanted website. 
• Submit a tip online.

The governor said all tips are anonymous and tipsters will be assigned a tip number.

"Law enforcement officers selflessly put their lives on the line each day they put on their badge, and they deserve to know that they have the full support of the State of Texas,” Abbott said in his announcement.

Contributing: Alex Driggars, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her atsdmartin@usatoday.com.