by Lauren Rowello | PHILADELPHIA, Penn. – Video footage uploaded to Fb reveals an altercation between a state trooper and two distinguished Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leaders. Celena Morrison, govt director of Philadelphia's Workplace of LGBT Affairs, was stopped by a state trooper on the Vine Road Expressway on the morning of March 2 and later taken into custody by police.
Morrison's sister informed PGN that Morrison was pulled over “for not having his lights on whereas tailgating,” which a video of the encounter Morrison recorded confirms. Darius McClean, Morrison's husband and COO of William Approach LGBT Neighborhood Middle, was current throughout the incident and was additionally arrested.
“My sister began recording when the officer turned aggressive,” stated Morrison's sister, who uploaded the video to her Fb. It reveals a part of the site visitors cease encounter. It’s unclear what occurred earlier than Morrison started recording. Morrison's sister stated McLean was following his spouse's automobile in a separate automobile on the time of the cease and pulled up behind her throughout site visitors.
Morrison informed her sister that the officer “pulled her out of the automobile” so Morrison obtained out of her personal automobile to clarify that McLean is her husband.
“He began recording when the officer pulled his taser,” Morrison's sister defined.
Within the video, which is described in additional element beneath, Morrison accuses the officer of punching her and pulling his gun on her. Within the video, the officer says McLean and Morrison are “arrested for resisting.”
Philadelphia Police confirmed that Morrison and McLean had been taken to Philadelphia Police headquarters at 400 N. Broad St. Morrison's sister says the couple was processed, charged with disorderly conduct, and detained till about 9 a.m. on March 2.
“My concern is about her security since she is transgender,” Morrison's sister informed PGN. She is very involved about “the way in which the police officer charged her for the recording,” which will be seen on the footage. One commenter responded to the video on Fb, “That is OUTRAGEOUS. This could go straight to the governor's workplace.”
What the video reveals
The video begins with Morrison repeatedly saying, “He's my husband,” to the officer who’s seen kneeling on McLean's again as McLean lays on the asphalt in a fetal place within the rain. The officer tells him to place his fingers behind his again. McLean says, “I don't know why you're doing this,” then frantically tries to reassure Morrison by saying, “It's okay. It's okay.”
Morrison repeatedly tells the officer, “I work for the mayor!” McLean seems to be making an attempt to defend his face with one arm in concern whereas the officer cuffs his different hand. The officer hit McLean's hand with a closed fist earlier than pointing at Morrison. The officer yells, “Get the fuck again!” whereas transferring McLean's fingers to his again to complete cuffing.
McLean pleads with the officer to cease then says, “It's as a result of I'm black.” The officer appears to reply, saying, “It's not since you're Black. It's since you rolled over me.”
The officer then leaves McLean and approaches Morrison, saying, “Flip round,” earlier than plunging towards Morrison in a grabbing movement. The digital camera is panned at this level and factors to the sky for the remainder of the footage. The officer yells, “Give me your fingers otherwise you'll be taxed!” whereas Morrison and McLean will be heard calling out in misery.
The officer says, “Keep right here!” to which McLean replies, “I do know! I can't go anyplace!” earlier than making an attempt to reassure Morrison once more by saying, “Celena, it's okay child.” Morrison says she doesn't know why that is occurring and repeatedly says they didn't nothing dangerous.
Then she says, “He simply punched me. He punched me.” The officer seems to be standing over McLean and Morrison as Morrison asks what's occurring and McLean yells for assist. The officer calls dispatch. which has two individuals arrested.
McLean calmly tells the officer, “I solely have my glasses.” The officer yells again, “Depart it right here!”
McLean says extra frantically, “I simply want my glasses,” and the officer yells, “I'm not reaching for something!” Morrison reassures McLean, “Simply keep nonetheless.”
The officer says: “Keep right here! You progress, you get on the bottom.”
McLean is invited to remain, however says he can't. Morrison says she is going to name the mayor as soon as that is over. When he stops, he asks the officer to take his cellphone. The officer says loudly, “This was a easy site visitors cease since you didn't have your lights on – you didn't have your lights on and also you had been tailgating.”
McLean tries to defend himself, “It wasn't tailgating!” and the officer repeats, “Easy site visitors cease,” to Morrison. The officer seems to say to McLean, “And I don't know who you’re, so I don't want you to get wealthy on me.”
“You had been out to check me. You pulled your gun on me,” Morrison says. “Why did you struggle with me,” the officer says, which Morrison is heard denying. The officer says McLean and Morrison had been “arrested for resisting.”
A response from Philadelphia and nationwide leaders
Mayor Cherelle Parker released a statement in X, first Twitter, which reads:
“Earlier at present, a Pennsylvania State Police officer carried out a site visitors cease on the Vine Road Expressway in Philadelphia for a violation of the Motor Automobile Code. Celena Morrison, the chief director of town of l Workplace of LGBT Affairs, was within the automobile that was stopped.
A video circulating on social media depicting a part of the incident could be very troubling to me, and I cannot remark additional till the investigation has been accomplished.”
State Consultant Malcolm Kenyatta addressed the incident in his speech on the Larger Philadelphia Human Rights Marketing campaign dinner on Saturday night time. He emphasised the necessity for a radical investigation.
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Marketing campaign – a nationwide group that advocates on behalf of the LGBTQ + neighborhood – additionally burdened the necessity for a radical investigation, underlining to PGN that vital particulars are sometimes lacking in the sort of state of affairs . She retweeted the mayor, calling the incident “disturbing.”
In his speech, he stated: “When the very govt director of Philadelphia's Workplace of LGBTQ Affairs, Celena Morrison, can not even stroll the streets of Philadelphia with out being harassed by regulation enforcement, we’re in a state of emergency.
Tyrell Brown, govt director of galaei, accepted an award on behalf of the group they lead and knowledgeable the group throughout his speech that Morrison and McLean have been launched from police custody.
Brown informed PGN that leaders from throughout the LGBTQ+ neighborhood and allies had been working to “guarantee that there’s transparency and security for these two extremely valued members of the neighborhood.”
They stated this example reveals that an official title doesn’t shield individuals from abuse – however that each one individuals within the queer neighborhood want and deserve entry to security and assist mechanisms with none boundaries.
“The seconds we miss could possibly be the distinction between life and loss of life,” they stated, emphasizing the significance of working collectively to make sure that all members of the queer neighborhood can entry sources that assist promote security and equity – “the identical form of decency. and the identical form of reverence and respect that each different neighborhood deserves and has given them.”
Pennsylvania State Police didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. The Philadelphia Police Division directed PGN to its public affairs workplace, which didn’t seem like open on March 2. An official informed PGN: “I’ve no remark presently.”
This can be a creating story.
The earlier piece was first printed by Philadelphia Homosexual Information and is republished with permission.
