In a troubling turn of events, the executive director of the Office of LGBT Affairs in Philadelphia, Celena Morrison, and her husband, Darius McLean, were arrested over the weekend in an incident captured on video. The video, circulated on social media, has raised concerns and prompted an investigation.

According to Mayor Cherelle Parker's statement on Saturday, a car stop was executed on the Vine Street Expressway by a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper for a motor vehicle code violation. Morrison was in the vehicle at the time of the stop.

In the video footage recorded by Morrison, a state trooper is shown standing over McLean on the shoulder of I-76, while Morrison can be heard shouting, "That's my husband!" The trooper instructs McLean to put his hands behind his back, to which McLean responds that they already are.

Morrison, aware of her position in the Office of LGBT Affairs, tells the officer to "stop" and mentions that she works for the mayor. She identifies herself as the wife of McLean and states that she will resolve the situation because of her connection to the mayor's office.

It is worth noting that Morrison is the first openly transgender individual to lead a city office in Philadelphia, having been appointed by former Mayor Jim Kenney in 2020. She continued in her role under the current Mayor Parker, who took office in January.

McLean, on the other hand, serves as the director of the Arcila-Adams Trans Resource Center and is the chief operating officer of the William Way LGBT Community Center, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit.

The Pennsylvania State Police released a press release over the weekend, stating that the trooper pulled Morrison over for multiple vehicle code violations, including illegally tinted windows, an expired and suspended car registration, and failure to turn on the vehicle's headlights despite the rain.

During the interaction, McLean arrived in a green Dodge sedan and became confrontational with the trooper. The press release did not identify McLean or Morrison by name. McLean refused to comply with the trooper's orders, leading to his arrest. Morrison, leaving her vehicle, interfered with the trooper's attempt to arrest McLean.

State police have charged both Morrison and McLean with resisting arrest, obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct, and other related charges.

As of now, no comments have been received from Morrison's office or McLean regarding the incident. The footage captures McLean expressing his belief that the arrest was due to his race, a claim which the trooper denies.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and Mayor Parker has stated that she will refrain from commenting further until it has been completed. The disturbing video has ignited further conversations surrounding race, LGBTQ+ rights, and policing in Philadelphia.