North Carolina residents on Saturday received a Blue Alert for a man wanted in Georgia for assaulting a police officer.
According to the Georgia State Bureau of Investigation, authorities were searching for 26-year-old Timothy Craig Ramsey, who agents say assaulted Brantly Worley, a police captain in McCaysville, Friday night.
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Authorities in Georgia said Worley was critically injured.
Craig was later caught around 6 p.m. Saturday in McCaysville.
As to why many people in North Carolina received the Blue Alert, Georgia SBI said it was possible Ramsey could have gone area of Cherokee County in North Carolina.
Ramsey was charged with aggravated assault with intent to kill a law enforcement officer.
What is a Blue Alert?
A Blue Alert is used to notify the media and the public when a law enforcement officer is seriously injured or killed. The alert will include details of any suspect or vehicle to help law enforcement and the public quickly identify and catch a suspect.
The Blue Alert concept is similar to the Amber Alert used for missing, endangered children or the Silver Alert used for older adults.
North Carolina is one of 36 states to use the Blue Alert in this way.
The Blue Alert started in Florida, where the first law, known as the "LEO Alert" was passed in 2008. It has been law in North Carolina since 2016. The shooting of Sgt. Philip Dale Nix in December 2023 was the first time it was widely used in the Tar Heel State.
Click this link here to learn more on the various alerts used in North Carolina.