MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — A Waco-area man is behind bars Wednesday, charged with evading arrest and possession of child pornography following an hours-long standoff with law enforcement.
According to Mart Police Chief James Crawford, Aaron Compton was identified as the suspect after a detective received a cyber tip linking him to child pornography. Mart police obtained a search warrant for his cell phone and went to his workplace to seize it, Crawford said, adding that officers told Compton that if investigators found any link to child pornography on the device, they would seek an arrest warrant for him.
Shortly after, around 11 a.m., a Precinct 1 constable assisting a Mart Police Department unit on the investigation attempted to pull Compton over after noticing his vehicle had an expired registration. Compton fled, triggering a slow-speed chase that ended in an empty field at Franklin and University Parks.
Once stopped, Constable Walt Strickland reports that Compton pulled out a gun and held it to his own head. Law enforcement locked down the area.
The standoff ended around 2:20 p.m. when Compton surrendered his weapon.
A Waco Police Department hostage negotiator responded to the scene, along with Waco and McLennan County SWAT teams, constables, U.S. Marshals, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Lorena police were among the first to arrive.
Crawford said investigators had been following up on a tip submitted to the Texas Attorney General's office related to an Internet Crimes Against Children case.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
