What is the ‘Blue Alert’ that blew up Florida phones? And what happened to the suspect?
Florida phones buzzed late Tuesday night with a Florida Department of Law Enforcement Blue Alert about registered sex offender Gregory Ryan Miedema, an alert that was called off at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday with Miedema’s death.
Here’s what’s known:
What is a Blue Alert?
A Blue Alert is issued when three conditions are met:
▪ A law enforcement officer is killed, has life-threatening injuries or, FDLE says, “is missing in the line of duty under circumstances warranting concern for the law enforcement officer’s safety.”
▪ The subject of the alert is believed to “pose an imminent threat to public safety and law enforcement personnel.”
▪ FDLE has a description of the subject or the vehicle they’re possibly using.
Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett said Wednesday afternoon that Deputy Troy Anderson was shot during a routine traffic stop around 10 p.m. Tuesday. FDLE said before being shot, Anderson recorded the license plate number of the car, which allowed a Blue Alert to be put out around 11:30 p.m.
Padgett said Anderson was in stable condition after going through reconstructive surgery.
Who was the subject of this Blue Alert?
Gregory Miedema was last seen in the area of U.S. 19 and South Deer Run Road in Perry. FDLE also listed Miedema as a registered sex offender, convicted in 2011 while in the military of sex with a minor and possession of child pornography. His last permanent registered address was in Lehigh Acres in Lee County with a temporary address in Fort Myers.
The Dixie County Sheriff’s Office posted to its Facebook page Wednesday afternoon that a homeowner in Tennille contacted them Wednesday around 7:19 a.m., telling them he’d shot an intruder. Dixie County Sheriff Darby Butler said Wednesday afternoon that the homeowner was being released from the hospital with minor injuries.
FDLE later said a fingerprint check confirmed the dead intruder was Miedema.
“Located at the scene was the suspect vehicle and several firearms strategically placed in what appeared to be an ambush setup,” the post said.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 8:38 AM.
