Current:Home > StocksState trooper who arrested LGBTQ+ leaders in Philadelphia no longer works for state police-InfoLens
State trooper who arrested LGBTQ+ leaders in Philadelphia no longer works for state police
View Date:2024-12-23 14:45:46
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The state trooper who arrested two LGBTQ+ leaders after a contentious traffic stop in Philadelphia is no longer employed by the Pennsylvania state police, officials said Friday.
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Adam Reed said the trooper, who has not been named, no longer works for the agency, though it’s unclear whether he was fired and when he left the job.
“I can say as of today, he’s no longer employed. I can’t offer any additional information, as we don’t comment on personnel matters,” Reed said.
In March, Celena Morrison and husband Darius McLean were arrested after a traffic stop on an elevated stretch of highway in the city, part of which was captured on video. Morrison heads the city’s Office of LGBT Affairs and McLean runs an LGBTQ+ community center in the city.
The arrests led Mayor Cherelle Parker to weigh in, calling the exchange between the trooper, who appears to be white, and the Black couple “very concerning.”
The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association criticized the state police for not standing behind the trooper.
“This decision is reprehensible,” Union President Stephen Polishan said in an statement. “This young trooper, on the job for only six months, deserved better from our department.”
Lawyer Kevin Mincey, who represents the couple, declined to comment. He is preparing to file a suit against the state police and the trooper on their behalf.
The couple were detained for about 12 hours after the 9 a.m. March 2 traffic stop in which they were driving separately to take a car for repairs when a trooper pulled Morrison over after maneuvering himself between their two vehicles, according to their lawyer.
Morrison took a video on her cellphone of the trooper handcuffing McLean after he stopped his car behind the trooper. In the video, McLean is lying in the rain on the shoulder of the highway. The trooper knocked the cellphone from her hand, ending the recording, Morrison’s lawyer’s have said.
The couple’s lawyers have also questioned the reason for the stop, saying the trooper would not have had time to run the registration before he wedged between them and pulled Morrison over. The trooper, on the video, said he stopped her for tailgating and failing to have her lights on.
“I don’t know why he’s doing this,” McLean cries to his wife as she recorded him being handcuffed.
“It’s ’cause I’m Black,” McLean says.
“It’s not ’cause you’re Black,” replies the trooper, who leaves McLean handcuffed on the highway shoulder and then moves to arrest Morrison.
veryGood! (87)
Related
- Maryland man wanted after 'extensive collection' of 3D-printed ghost guns found at his home
- Top takeaways from Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis' forceful testimony in contentious hearing on whether she should be removed from Trump Georgia 2020 election case
- Mystery Behind Pregnant Stingray With No Male Companion Will Have You Hooked
- Inter Miami preseason match Thursday: Will Lionel Messi play against hometown club?
- Black and Latino families displaced from Palm Springs neighborhood reach $27M tentative settlement
- Kansas City mom and prominent Hispanic DJ dies in a mass shooting after Chiefs’ victory parade
- New York redistricting panel approves new congressional map with modest changes
- 14 GOP-led states have turned down federal money to feed low-income kids in the summer. Here’s why
- Alexandra Daddario Shares Candid Photo of Her Postpartum Body 6 Days After Giving Birth
- Woman charged in scheme to steal over 1,000 luxury clothing items worth $800,000
Ranking
- Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline, shrugging off Wall Street’s overnight rally
- Ohio woman who disappeared with 5-year-old foster son she may have harmed now faces charges
- 11 cold-stunned sea turtles returned to Atlantic after rehabilitation in Florida
- On Valentine’s Day, LGBTQ+ activists in Japan call for the right for same-sex couples to marry
- Early Week 11 fantasy football rankings: 30 risers and fallers
- Jennifer Lopez says new album sums up her feelings, could be her last: 'True love does exist'
- Eyes on the road: Automated speed cameras get a fresh look as traffic deaths mount
- Verdict in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial expected Friday, capping busy week of court action
Recommendation
-
These Yellowstone Gift Guide Picks Will Make You Feel Like You’re on the Dutton Ranch
-
11 cold-stunned sea turtles returned to Atlantic after rehabilitation in Florida
-
Photos: Uber, Lyft drivers strike in US, UK on Valentine's Day
-
Nebraska lawmaker seeks to ban corporations from buying up single-family homes
-
‘Maybe Happy Ending’ review: Darren Criss shines in one of the best musicals in years
-
All 58 Louisiana death row inmates with no execution date wait as bill proposes death by nitrogen gas
-
Here’s where all the cases against Trump stand as he campaigns for a return to the White House
-
Management issues at Oregon’s Crater Lake prompt feds to consider terminating concession contract