A Violent Threat, a Livestream Hunt, and the Prosecutor Who Stopped It

In April 2020, an anti-government extremist named Aaron Swenson drove around Texarkana wearing a Hawaiian shirt and tactical vest, armed with three firearms, a katana sword, and more than 150 rounds of ammunition. He used Facebook Live to broadcast his plan: he was hunting for a police officer to kill. His intention, according to prosecutors, was to shoot an officer and then decapitate him with the sword.

Texarkana Police Officer Jonathan Price was parked along St. Michael’s Drive when he heard Swenson say on the livestream that he had “found his prey.” Price later testified, “I realized he was talking about me. I put the car in drive and took off. I didn’t want to get ambushed by myself.”

Kelley prosecuted the case, describing Swenson as a “police-hating maniac” who finally surrendered only after being outmaneuvered by the 27 officers who surrounded him. The jury swiftly convicted him of attempted capital murder of a peace officer and sentenced him to 50 years in prison.

But the fight wasn’t over.

When an appeals court later overturned that conviction, Kelley didn’t back down. She took the case all the way to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals—the state’s highest criminal court—and won. The original 50-year sentence was reinstated.

This case is one of many moments that show exactly who Kelley is as a prosecutor: when officers are targeted, she will always fight for them.