A state trooper arrested Philadelphia’s head of LGBT affairs and her husband on Saturday in an incident Mayor Jim Kenney described as “very concerning.” Police confirmed this information, and the incident was captured in a video circulating on social media.
Celena Morrison, the executive director of Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs, recorded a portion of her husband Darius McLean’s arrest on the Vine Street Expressway. This was confirmed by her sister speaking to CNN on Sunday.
In the video, Morrison can be heard repeatedly stating, “that is my husband,” as McLean is on the ground. She also mentions, “I work for the mayor.” McLean can be heard saying, “It’s ’cause I’m Black,” to which the unnamed trooper responds, “It’s not ’cause you’re Black.”
As the officer shown in the video walks toward Morrison, the camera becomes unstable. According to a police report of the Saturday incident, both individuals were allegedly resisting arrest at the time of the traffic stop.
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The report indicated that the unnamed state trooper, seen in the video, initiated the traffic stop for the driver of a gray Infiniti sedan due to “multiple Vehicle Code violations.”
Subsequently, a green Dodge sedan pulled up and parked behind the trooper’s vehicle. The report stated that the driver of the Dodge became “verbally combative” when the trooper approached.
“The individual refused multiple lawful orders made by the trooper, and the trooper subsequently attempted to place the individual under arrest. The individual resisted arrest on multiple occasions,” the report stated. The report further mentioned that the driver of the Infiniti interfered with the arrest of the Dodge’s driver.
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“Both individuals were subsequently arrested for Resisting Arrest, Obstruction of Justice, Disorderly Conduct, and other related charges,” the report concluded. It’s important to note that the report does not mention Morrison or McLean by name.
LaTasha Morrison Sinclair, Morrison’s sister, originally posted the arrest video on Facebook. However, as of Sunday afternoon, the video is no longer public, and it remains unclear whether Facebook or Sinclair removed it.
State police have declined to release the name of the trooper seen in the video at this time. The trooper is currently on restricted duty status and will not be on patrol during the investigation, according to Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Myles Snyder.
Furthermore, authorities stated that a dashboard camera recorded the incident in the trooper’s vehicle. CNN has reached out to Facebook, the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police, and Morrison for comment.
Joe Grace, the mayor’s office communications director, appealed for patience, stating, “Please… give our City official some time and space.” On Saturday, Mayor Cherelle Parker addressed the incident, deeming the interaction “very concerning.”
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“Earlier today, a Pennsylvania State Police trooper conducted a car stop on the Vine Street Expressway in Philadelphia, reportedly for a Motor Vehicle Code violation,” Parker stated.
“Celena Morrison, the City’s executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs, was in the vehicle that was stopped,” Parker continued.
“A video circulating on social media that depicts a portion of the incident is very concerning to me, and I will have no further comment until the investigation has been completed,” Mayor Parker concluded.
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