Philadelphia’s executive director of the Workplace of LGBT Affairs and her husband have been arrested over the weekend in a video the mayor described as “very concerning.”
“A Pennsylvania State Police Trooper executed a car stop on the Vine Street Expressway in Philadelphia, reportedly for a Motor Vehicle Code violation. Celena Morrison, the City’s executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs, was in the vehicle that was stopped,” Mayor Cherelle Parker posted on X Saturday.
“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,” she added.
Video footage posted to social media and reportedly recoreded by Morrison reveals a Pennsylvania State Trooper standing over Morrison’s husband, recognized as Darius McLean, on the shoulder of I-76 as Morrison shouts, “That’s my husband!”
Government Director of Philadelphia’s Workplace of LGBT Affairs Celena Morrison. (Metropolis of Philadelphia )
“Put your hands behind your back,” the trooper is seen shouting at McLean as he’s on the bottom.
“They are,” McLean responded.
Morrison is heard within the background telling the officer that she works “for the mayor” and for the trooper to “stop.”
“That is my husband … Don’t worry about it. I’m gonna get his … I work for the mayor. No. I work for the mayor. I work for the mayor, Please just stop!”
Morrison is believed to be the primary overtly transgender particular person to steer a metropolis workplace in Philadelphia and was appointed to the place underneath former Mayor Jim Kenney in 2020. She remained within the position following the election of Parker, who was sworn in as mayor in January of this yr.
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Philadelphia’s mayor mentioned footage displaying the arrest of Celena Morrison and her husband was “very concerning.” (WTXF)
Morrison’s husband serves as director of the Arcila-Adams Trans Useful resource Heart and chief working officer of a Philadelphia-based nonprofit William Means LGBT Group Heart.
State police launched a press launch over the weekend detailing {that a} trooper pulled Morrison over after observing “multiple vehicle code violations” for her grey Infiniti sedan. The violations included illegally tinted home windows, an expired and suspended automotive registration and that the headlights on the automobile weren’t on regardless of it raining on Saturday morning, police informed the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Earlier than the trooper was in a position to make contact with Morrison, a inexperienced Dodge sedan pulled up and parked behind the trooper’s automobile, in response to the press launch.
McLean was working the inexperienced Dodge, in response to native media, with the press launch outlining that the motive force of the Dodge “became verbally combative toward the trooper.” The press launch doesn’t establish McLean or Morrison by identify.
McLean “refused multiple lawful orders” throughout the interplay with the trooper and the officer then tried to arrest McLean. Police mentioned McLean resisted arrest a number of instances, with Morrison then leaving the Infinity and “interfered” with the trooper’s arrest.
Footage displaying the arrest of Darius McLean in Philadelphia. (WTXF)
“Each people have been arrested for resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct, and different associated expenses,” state police mentioned.
Fox Information Digital reached out to Morrison’s workplace, in addition to McLean, for touch upon the matter, however didn’t instantly obtain responses.
“Please just stop,” McLean is heard saying in footage of the scene. “It’s because I’m Black.”
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“It’s not ‘cause you’re Black,’” the trooper responded.
“Yes it is,” Morrison is heard saying off digital camera.
Footage displaying the arrest of Darius McLean in Philadelphia. (WTXF)
McLean was handcuffed, and the trooper was seen approaching Morrison and telling her to show round.
“Give me your hand or you’re getting tased!” the trooper mentioned.
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“I don’t know why this is happening,” Morrison mentioned. “We ain’t done nothing wrong.”
“He just punched me,” Morrison is heard saying.
A spokesman for the mayor’s workplace mentioned the newly-minted mayor doesn’t have any extra remark to incorporate on the matter, and that the case is within the fingers of the Pennsylvania State Police. State police directed Fox Information Digital to its weekend press launch when referred to as Monday morning, saying no extra particulars have been out there on the time.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker signed an government order declaring a public security emergency on Tuesday and directed police within the metropolis to develop “comprehensive plans” that deal with crime all through the town. (Philadelphia Mayor’s Workplace/X)
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The couple was detained and later launched Saturday night. The district legal professional’s workplace mentioned they haven’t made any resolution on potential expenses till an intensive investigation is carried out.
“As our office continues to investigate all aspects of the incident on the Vine Street Expressway on Saturday, we encourage members of the public who have truthful information about this incident to contact the DA’s Special Investigations Unit at [email protected] or 215-686-9608,” the DA’s workplace mentioned in a press release.
