Texas issues warning about Chucky, the fictional murder doll

Sep 8, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; A Cincinnati Bengals fan hols a Chucky doll as players warm up before a game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; A Cincinnati Bengals fan hols a Chucky doll as players warm up before a game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports /
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A technical glitch resulted in several Texas residents receiving alerts that Chucky the murder doll of Child’s Play fame was on the loose. The Texas Department of Safety was running tests on their Amber Alert system when the test message went out to subscribers. Adding insult to injury, it was sent out three times.

The accidental alert featured Chucky’s son Glen from 2004’s Seed of Chucky. The alert listed Chucky as being 28 years of age with auburn hair. His race is described as other, with “doll” in parentheses. He was last seen wearing his trademark overalls with a giant kitchen knife.

You can imagine the shock and confusion from residents across Texas who received the notification. Local news station KENS 5 reached out to DPS, which issued the following statement:

"This alert is a result of a test malfunction. We apologize for the confusion this may have caused and are diligently working to ensure this does not happen again."

Texas Amber Alert for Chucky the murder doll is no joke

While it’s fun to laugh at the way Texas DPS tested the system, it actually makes a lot of sense. They needed a fake profile to test the system because if they used real people and there was a malfunction (which there was) it could cause a great deal of undue stress for the people named on the document.

The decision to use Chucky makes as much sense as using Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker or Bart and Homer Simpson. The idea was to use fictional people, so the person calling the shots on test day went with a murder doll who has a history of abduction.

Chucky was the stuff of nightmares to ’90s kids who grew up wondering if their kid sister’s talking doll could in fact be possessed by a demon. The first Child’s Play movie was such a hit that it inspired several sequels, including Bride of Chucky and Seed of Chucky. The recent reboot wasn’t as successful, but the original movies still strike a nerve.

Rest easy, Texas. Chucky isn’t real…or is he?

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