'It's because I'm black': Trooper arrests Philly LGBT Affairs head, husband amid traffic stop; trooper now on restricted duty

Pennsylvania State Police placed a trooper on restricted duty after he arrested the head of Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs along with her husband during a traffic stop over the weekend in the city, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

A portion of Saturday's arrest of Celena Morrison and her husband Darius McLean — CEO of a transgender resource center — was caught on video.

While state police charged the couple with resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct, and summary traffic citations, the paper said the office of city District Attorney Larry Krasner declined the charges, and Morrison and McLean were released from custody Saturday evening.

What are the details?

The Inquirer, citing state police, said the trooper pulled Morrison over on Interstate 76 for driving a grey Infiniti sedan with an expired and suspended registration, driving without headlights activated in the rain, illegally tinted windows, and driving too close to another car.

After the traffic stop, McLean pulled up behind them, the paper said, adding that state police said McLean “became verbally combative” and “refused multiple lawful orders" after the trooper approached him.

The trooper attempted to arrest McLean, and Morrison tried to intervene, the Inquirer said, adding that she also was arrested.

In Morrison's video of the arrest, she was heard yelling, “I work for the mayor! I work for the mayor!” as McLean was lying on the shoulder of the freeway, the paper said.

"Please, just stop. No! It's cause I'm black," McLean was heard saying, according to WPVI-TV.

"It's not 'cause you're black," the trooper replied, according to the station.

The trooper then walked toward Morrison and told her to "turn around" and "give me your hands, or you are getting tased," WPVI reported. At one point, Morrison was heard saying, “He just punched me," the Inquirer said.

More from the station:

The video continues to record while on the ground.

"This was a simple traffic stop cause you didn't have your lights on. You're tailgating," the officer explains to the couple. "Then, I don't know who you are. I don't need somebody rolling up on me."

"There was no need at all," one person is heard saying.

"You were about to tase me. You pulled your gun on me," another voice says.

"You were fighting with me," says a third voice.

"No, I wasn't fighting you," someone responds.

Anything else?

State police are conducting an internal investigation over the incident, the paper said, adding that during the unnamed trooper's restricted duty, he won't be on patrol.

Jane Roh, spokesperson for the DA’s office, told the Inquirer that no charging decisions have been made, and officials are investigating all aspects of the incident.

The paper added that Mayor Cherelle Parker noted in a social media post, "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."

DA investigating controversial traffic stop after Philadelphia official, husband arrested on I-76youtu.be

This story has been updated.

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