'He just punched me': Video shows combative arrest of Philadelphia LGBTQ official, husband
Two prominent LGBTQ advocates in Philadelphia were arrested Saturday including a city official in an incident the mayor has called "concerning".
Video shows Celena Morrison, the city of Philadelphia's executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs and her husband, Darius McLean — an executive at a LGBTQ community center — being arrested after being pulled over for what Pennsylvania State Police alleged were "multiple Vehicle Code violations."
Morrison, 51, was appointed to her position in 2020, making her the first openly transgender person to lead a department in the city.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the video of the incident, "is very concerning to me" but had no further comment until the investigation was completed. She declined requests for comment from reporters who approached her about the subject on Sunday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Neither Morrison or McClean have been charged by the Philadelphia District Attorney, according to the Inquirer.
An internal investigation into the incident has begun, according to a State Police spokesperson.
What does the video show?
The video, recorded by Morrison, shows McClean on the ground in the shoulder of I-76.
"Do you want to get tased? Put your hands behind your back." the officer shouts.
"OK! They are!” McLean says.
"That is my husband! Please!" Morrison yells.
"It’s OK, baby, it’s OK ... I don’t know why he’s doing this," McLean says.
Morrison then attempts to approach the officer causing the officer to aggressively direct her to step back.
"Please just stop. It’s because I’m Black." McClean says.
The officer responds, "It’s not 'cause you’re Black,'"
The officer then approaches Morrison and the phone appears to be knocked out of her hand. The exchange between the officer and McClean can be heard but is not shown on the remainder of the video.
"Give me your hand or you’re getting tased!" the officer says.
"I don’t know why this is happening," Morrison said. "We ain’t done nothing wrong."
Morrison then says: "He just punched me."
USA TODAY has reached out to both McClean and Morrison and has not received a response.
What have the police said?
In a Public Information Release Report, the Pennsylvania State Police said that Morrison pulled behind the officer's car after McClean was pulled over. The statement says that McClean, "became verbally combative toward the Trooper."
The statement claims that both McClean and Morrison resisted arrest.
"Both individuals were arrested for resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct, and other related charges," state police said
The State Police refused to identify the officer involved in the arrest.