Trans activist head of Philadelphia's Office of LGBTQ Affairs arrested during traffic stop

The executive director of Philadelphia's Office of LGBTQ Affairs was arrested by a state trooper on Saturday during a traffic stop.

Celena Morrison, who is a trans-identified biological male, was arrested and taken into custody on charges that included resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct, and other related charges.

Morrison's husband, Darius McLean, was also arrested during the traffic stop on the same charges. However, the couple was released on Saturday and the charges have been dropped, according to the Daily Mail.

The incident occurred around 9 am when a Pennsylvania State Trooper initiated a traffic stop on I-76 westbound for multiple alleged "vehicle code violations."

The trooper pulled over a gray Infinity sedan, which is believed to have been driven by Morrison, for allegedly driving without lights on and tailgating.

Morrison's husband, who had been reportedly driving a green Dodge sedan, pulled up behind the trooper's cruiser after Morrison had been pulled over.

Police said that when the trooper had approached McLean, he was acting "verbally combative" and "resisted arrest."

Morrison recorded the incident on her phone. Video footage shows a scuffle breaking out between the trooper and McLean when the trooper attempted to handcuff him.


Darius McLean, left, Celena Morrison, right

While McLean was on the ground with the trooper standing over him, Morrison can be heard on video saying, "I work for the mayor. That is my husband. That is my husband!"

McLean yells at the trooper, "It's cause I'm black!"

The trooper replied, "It's not cause you're black."

Morrison is then directed by the trooper to "turn around," and threatens that she will "be tased" if she doesn't comply with the order.

"He just punched me!" Morrison said to her husband, speaking about the trooper.

"What is going on? Why are you so aggressive," she can be heard saying in the video.

The trooper then informs Morrison about why she had been pulled over and said: "This was a simple traffic stop cause you didn't have your lights on. You didn't have your lights on and you're tailgating."

Both Morrison and McLean were taken into custody but have since been released without charges.

The incident captured the attention of the mayor, who referred to it as "concerning."

"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," said Mayor Cherelle Parker on X.

It remains unclear what led up to the trooper moving to arrest McLean, other than that he had been allegedly "verbally combative."