Children safe after standoff, police say

After fighting with the mother of his children in a Walmart parking lot Wednesday, a Little Rock man led police on a chase that ended in an hourlong standoff, a police spokesman said.

Police were summoned to 19301 Cantrell Road at 9:20 a.m. Wednesday, where Farris I. Deloney, 43, was arguing with a girlfriend, Little Rock police spokesman Lt. Michael Ford said. The woman, whom police have not yet identified, called 911, Ford said.

While officers were driving to the disturbance, Deloney fired multiple shots, took the two children and started driving toward North Little Rock, Ford said. No one was reported injured in the gunfire.

When an officer attempted to pull him over for a traffic stop, Deloney fled, leading police on a chase that ended near 8000 Crystal Hill Road, just across the street from New Life Church of Greater Little Rock, Ford said.

Officers with the North Little Rock Police Department, the Little Rock Police Department and the Arkansas State Police converged there, using a half-dozen patrol cars to surround Deloney’s white SUV, reports said. Officers then began to negotiate with him, according to officials.

Soon after the standoff started, officers were able to get close enough to get the two children — whose ages were not immediately released — out of the vehicle, Ford said. The children were checked out by a medic at the scene and appeared to be uninjured, he said.

North Little Rock’s SWAT team arrived at the scene, but Ford said the team fell back as soon as the children were moved to safety. Ford said Deloney never threatened to injure officers but was turning the gun toward himself.

Deloney raised his hands and surrendered at 11:20 a.m., according to reports. He was arrested on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault on a family or household member, and two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.