Tampa Police are asking for the public’s help finding 35-year-old Braden Burgess, who was last seen earlier yesterday wearing a tan shirt and tan shorts near West Kennedy Boulevard and North Hesperides Street. Officers have issued a local Purple Alert for Burgess, a designation reserved for missing adults with certain disabilities who are believed to be in immediate danger.
According to a post from the Tampa Police Department, anyone with information is asked to call the department’s non-emergency line at 813-231-6130 and reference case number 26-487301. The department noted that its social media account is not monitored around the clock, so tips should go directly to the phone line rather than through comments or messages. Callers should dial 911 for emergencies, per the department.
Help us locate 35 y.o. Braden Burgess.A local purple alert has been issued.He was last seen earlier today wearing a tan shirt and tan shorts near W Kennedy Blvd & N Hesperides St.Anyone with information should call 813-231-6130 and reference 26-487301. pic.twitter.com/64vtwn8cPQ
— Tampa Police Department (@TampaPD) August 18, 2026
What a Purple Alert Actually Means
Florida’s Purple Alert system is built specifically for missing adults who don’t fit the criteria of other alert programs. Under Florida Statute 937.0205, a missing adult must be at least 18 years old, have a non-substance-related physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, or developmental disability or brain injury, and be considered in immediate danger requiring law enforcement intervention, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Tampa Police have not disclosed the specific nature of Burgess’s disability, consistent with the privacy protections built into the statute…