The head of Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs and her husband are mulling over a lawsuit after a traffic stop they claim was fueled by racial profiling. Celena Morrison-McLean was pulled over Saturday by a Pennsylvania state trooper for multiple "vehicle code violations," according to CBS News. Morrison-McLean, says she was targeted because she is Black, asserting, "Darius and I did nothing wrong and did not deserve to be treated the way we were treated during the arrest," during a press conference yesterday.
Morrison-McLean's spouse, Darius McLean was confronted by the same trooper, who had his weapon drawn and reportedly used expletives. According to the couple's attorneys, they had just picked up a car from a family member in New Jersey, and were driving separate vehicles when the incident on I-76 near 30th Street Station occurred, this detail was reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer. The coupe's legal representation noted there is dash camera footage of the encounter, but the trooper was not wearing a body camera at the time.
Trooper Zaborowski involved in the stop has since been placed on desk duty while the occurrences are being reviewed. According to a statement obtained by FOX 29, Morrison said, "it’s disheartening that as Black individuals we’re all too familiar with the use of the phrase, stop resisting as a green light for excessive force by law enforcement." Pennsylvania State Police have stated that the state trooper stopped Morrison-McLean for not having her lights on and tailgating, a detail questioned by the couple's attorneys.
The brazen stop has drawn attention, with the State Police head expressing concern over the allegations raised. Furthermore, the trooper's behavior, particularly as he advanced on Morrison while she was recording, has led to the announcement that the distribution of body-worn cameras to Philadelphia troopers will be prioritized in the upcoming months. Morrison-McLean believes at least an apology is owed, proclaiming, "At a minimum, the Pennsylvania State Police owe Darius and I an apology that is equally as public as the way they discarded our rights on Interstate 76," echoed by reports from The Philadelphia Inquirer.
