Celena Morrison, a prominent figure in Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ community and leader of the city’s Office of LGBT Affairs, found herself at the center of a troubling incident during a recent traffic stop.
Morrison, along with her husband Darius McLean, who runs an LGBTQ+ community center in the city, are preparing to take legal action after alleging excessive force by a state trooper.
The incident unfolded as Morrison and McLean were driving separately to drop off a car for repairs.
According to their account, as a trooper handcuffed McLean during the stop on a rainy elevated highway, Morrison began recording the encounter out of fear for her husband’s safety.
However, their lawyers claim that the trooper aggressively charged at Morrison, forcibly knocking the cellphone away and abruptly ending the recording.
In a news conference, Morrison recounted her distress, stating:
“This state trooper held my husband’s life in his hands.”
She further expressed her attempts to de-escalate the situation by identifying herself as a city official, but to no avail.
The couple intends to file a lawsuit over the incident, questioning the trooper’s tactics and the justification for the stop.
Lawyer Riley Ross raised concerns about the trooper’s actions, emphasizing the need for accountability in law enforcement.
District Attorney Larry Krasner has yet to determine whether charges will be filed against Morrison and McLean, who were detained for approximately 12 hours on obstruction and resisting arrest charges following the stop.
Morrison believes she was targeted due to her race, emphasizing the familiar narrative of Black individuals facing excessive force by law enforcement.
McLean described the traumatic scene of witnessing the trooper charging at his wife while he lay handcuffed on the ground, unable to intervene.
Mayor Cherelle Parker has voiced her concerns about the incident, calling the cellphone video captured by Morrison “very concerning.”
As Morrison and McLean prepare to seek justice, they shed light on the ongoing issues of police misconduct and the disproportionate impact on marginalized communities.
Despite the challenges ahead, they remain steadfast in their pursuit of accountability and change.
Morrison, a transgender woman, has been serving in her city post since 2020, while McLean is the chief operating officer of the William Way LGBT Community Center.
