Pennsylvania state trooper who violently arrested Black transgender official on video is fired

The rookie state trooper seen on video arresting a Black trans director of Philadelphia’s Office of LGBT Affairs and her husband has been fired.

On March 2, Celena Morrison-McLean and her husband, Darrius McLean were driving separate vehicles on I-76 in Philadelphia. Morrison-McLean was pulled over by the unnamed officer for alleged tailgating and driving in the rain without headlights. McLean pulled up behind the stopped vehicles and argued with the officer.

Video of a portion of the incident taken by Morrison-McLean showed Darrius handcuffed on the side of the freeway and questioning the officer’s actions.

The couple was eventually arrested for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

“I don’t know why he’s doing this,” McLean says as he’s being arrested. “It’s ’cause I’m Black,” which the trooper denies.

Morrison-McLean can be heard telling the trooper she works for the mayor during the incident.

A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed the trooper “is no longer employed by our agency” in a statement provided to the media but declined to identify the trooper. The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association (PTSA), however, confirmed the trooper was fired.

At a press conference in March, Morrison-McLean explained her mindset during the incident.

“Fearing the worst was about to happen, I yelled out to the officer I work for the mayor multiple times hoping that would make him realize he was dealing with people he did not need to be afraid of,” she said at the press conference, local ABC affiliate WPVI reported at the time.

The PTSA called the trooper’s termination “reprehensible” and blamed Morrison-McLean and her husband for escalating the incident.

“This young trooper, on the job for only six months, deserved better from our department,” the PTSA said in a press release. “The department’s leadership should have fought against the attacks made about this young man’s character. Instead, they abandoned him. We can only conclude this decision is a response to a politically charged atmosphere in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania, which is making it increasingly difficult for law enforcement to carry out even their most basic duties.”