Latest news with #Abston
UPI
9 hours ago
- Politics
- UPI
Man charged with trying to kidnap Memphis mayor
Trenton Abston was arrested and charged Wednesday in connection to a suspicious man seen trespassing on the property of Memphis Mayor Paul Young. Image courtesy of Memphis Police Department/ Facebook June 20 (UPI) -- Authorities in Memphis have arrested and charged a 25-year-old man accused of attempting to kidnap the city's mayor over the weekend. The suspect, identified as Trenton Abston, was arrested on Wednesday, the Memphis Police Department said in a statement. Police recovered a Taser, gloves, rope and duct tape from Abston's vehicle following the man's arrest, according to authorities. Abston was arrested after police on Sunday responded to reports of an individual conducting "suspicious activity" outside the home of Memphis Mayor Paul Young. Police said a review of both public and private security camera footage of the incident shows that the suspect had scaled a wall to enter the mayor's property. Young, in a statement on Facebook, said the incident occurred at about 9:30 local time Sunday. He said a man had jumped a wall leading to his subdivision and walked straight to his home, "knocking on the door with gloves on, a full pocket and a nervous demeanor." "In today's climate, especially after the tragic events in Minnesota and the threats my wife and I often receive online, none of us can be too careful," he said, referring to the recent assassination of Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and the attempted assassination of Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman. Young is also a Democrat. "What starts as reckless words online can all too quickly become something more more dangerous," he said. Abston has been charged with attempted kidnapping, stalking and aggravated criminal trespass. "We understand the concerns raised by this incident and want to reassure the public that the Memphis Police Department remains fully committed to the safety of all residents, including our city's elected officials," the Memphis Police Department said. "We take any potential threat seriously and will continue to act swiftly and thoroughly." A politically divided United States has seen an increase in violence targeting elected officials in recent years. On Jan. 6, 2021, an extremist violent mob attempted an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in response to Democrat Joe Biden being elected president, with some calling for the deaths of elected officials. Paul Pelosi, the husband of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was brutally beaten by a man with a hammer at the home he shared with his wife in 2022. Violence has also been directed at Republicans, with President Donald Trump being the subject of two assassination attempts.
NBC News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Man with taser, tape and rope accused of stalking, trying to kidnap Memphis mayor
A man found with a taser, rope, and duct tape and seen in the Memphis mayor's neighborhood has been accused of stalking and attempting to kidnap the city leader. Trenton Abston, 25, is being held in Shelby County Jail with no bail or bond listed and a court appearance scheduled for Friday, according to jail records. Abston has been charged with attempted kidnapping, stalking, and aggravated criminal trespassing, the Memphis Police Department said in a statement. Police said they believed he was targeting the city's mayor, Paul Young. "At the time of his arrest, officers recovered a taser, gloves, rope, and duct tape from his vehicle," the department said. It wasn't clear if Abston has a lawyer. The public defender's office for the region did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Police initially believed the suspect was going door-to-door in a subdivision that includes Mayor Paul Young's home in East Memphis on Sunday night. Memphis police and the mayor said security video shows the suspect scaling a wall to the subdivision and then walking directly to the mayor's home. "We now know that he walked straight to our home, knocking on the door with gloves on, a full pocket, and a nervous demeanor," the mayor said in a statement. Much of the incident was on security camera video, officials said, though police didn't detail what happened after the suspect came to the mayor's door. This week, the police department tried to reassure residents it is aware of high-profile political violence in the nation and is prepared to fight it. "We understand the concerns raised by this incident and want to reassure the public that the Memphis Police Department remains fully committed to the safety of all residents, including our city's elected officials," it said Wednesday. Earlier in the week, Vance Boelter, 57, was charged with murder in a deadly rampage on elected officials that began in Minnesota's Twin Cities region. Authorities have accused him of impersonating law enforcement and fatally shooting a Democratic Minnesota state representative and her husband, and wounding another state legislator and his wife. The Memphis mayor said in his statement that it's time to redouble efforts to keep political discussion civil. "In today's climate, especially after the tragic events in Minnesota and the threats my wife and I often receive online, none of us can be too careful," Young said. "Let's raise our discourse, reduce the hate, and protect one another — no matter our beliefs," the mayor said. "Let's reclaim our strength as one community. Let's choose love."
USA Today
19 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
25-year-old man accused of stalking Memphis mayor, approaching home with stun gun
25-year-old man accused of stalking Memphis mayor, approaching home with stun gun Show Caption Hide Caption Killed, wounded Minnesota state lawmakers honored at vigil Neighbors gathered to honor state Rep. Melissa Hortman and state Sen. John Hoffman. Hortman was killed and Hoffman was wounded in separate shootings. Police say they found a stun gun, gloves, rope, and duct tape in the suspect's vehicle. The suspect scaled a wall and went directly to the mayor's residence, according to security footage. This incident follows a recent attack on Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses. Memphis, Tennessee, police arrested a man who allegedly trespassed into Mayor Paul Young's gated neighborhood late on June 15, finding a stun gun, gloves, rope and duct tape in his car. Trenton Abston, 25, was arrested June 18. He is charged with aggravated criminal trespassing and stalking, two misdemeanors. Shortly after first appearing in the criminal court system, Abston had felony attempted kidnapping added to his list of charges. "At the time of his arrest, officers recovered a Taser, gloves, rope, and duct tape from his vehicle. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be forthcoming," the Memphis Police Department said in a statement posted to Facebook. "Upon further review of both public and private security camera footage, we have determined that the suspect did not approach multiple homes, as initially reported. Instead, after scaling a wall, the individual went directly to the Mayor's residence." According to a police email obtained by The Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network, a man jumped over a fence to Young's East Memphis neighborhood and knocked on his door around 9:30 p.m. on June 15. The man left the house before police could speak with him, but his face was recorded on a doorbell camera. According to a police affidavit, Abston's car was "captured by video systems in the immediate area of Paul Young's residence on multiple occasions between May and June 2025." When Abston was apprehended, police say he "admitted to researching" Young's house and driving by it to confirm he lived there. "He admitted to waiting until Sunday evening to go to the residence to confront Paul Young about crime in the city of Memphis and stated he was angry at Paul Young and was armed with a Taser when he went to the residence," the affidavit said. "Given the expressed motivation and anger toward the victim, multiple visits to the victim's neighborhood or home, the admitted recent purchase and possession of rope and duct tape, the climbing of a wall surrounding the victim's private gated neighborhood at night, approaching the residence armed with a Taser and knocking on the victim's door, Abston took substantial steps toward the commission of a kidnapping," the affidavit added. Police credited "the rapid response of our officers and the use of camera technology throughout the neighborhood" with how they were able to identify the man. According to the criminal court system, this was the first time Abston had appeared in court aside from two traffic tickets. Incident comes after Minnesota shootings The alleged trespassing came amid heightened tensions for politicians after a Minnesota man allegedly broke into multiple homes and shot two state lawmakers and their spouses in the early hours of June 14. Two people, Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, were killed. Two more people, Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, were injured in a separate incident. It was also the second run-in with potential danger Young has faced since being sworn in as mayor. In March 2024, Young was grabbed by a man attempting to get into his vehicle. Young was uninjured in that incident, and his security detail was able to prevent the man from entering the car. A 'small amount of pepper spray' was sprayed at the man in that instance, City Communications Director Penelope Huston said at the time. Young, in a statement posted to Facebook after the arrest alongside a picture of his wife and children, said online rhetoric has been leading to violence in recent months. "In today's climate, especially after the tragic events in Minnesota and the threats my wife and I often receive online, none of us can be too careful. The link between angry online rhetoric and real-life violence is becoming undeniable," Young wrote. Lucas Finton covers crime, policing, jails, the courts and criminal justice policy for The Commercial Appeal.
