A Memphis man has been arrested after he allegedly sought to kidnap the city’s mayor. The man went to the elected official’s family home and was later found with a taser, gloves, rope and duct tape in his vehicle, according to police.
Memphis police said that Trenton Abston, 25, is facing charges of attempted kidnapping, stalking and aggravated criminal trespass.
Trenton Abston is accused of attempting to kidnap the mayor of Memphis, Paul Young.
Memphis Police Department
According to The Associated Press, Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, was at home with his wife and two young children on Sunday night when Abston knocked on the door.
Legal documents obtained by the AP say that Young could see from his doorbell camera that the man was wearing gloves and had a lumpy bulge in his hoodie pocket.
When no one answered the door, the man fled. His face was caught on a security camera.
The attempted kidnapping occurred one day after a gunman, posing as a police officer, killed a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband and severely injured a state senator and his wife, prompting a massive, multi-day manhunt for the suspect, who police later arrested and identified as Vance Boelter.
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Investigators say Boelter appeared to spend months preparing for the shootings. His list of potential targets contained dozens of names, including officials in at least three other states.
Online court records do not show if Abston has legal representation. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday to tell a judge if he has been able to hire a lawyer.
Abston told police he approached the mayor’s home on Sunday intending to discuss crime rates in Memphis, adding that he was angry with Young and armed with a taser when he approached his home.
A police investigation revealed that in May and June, Abston’s vehicle was captured by security cameras multiple times near Young’s home.
Young lives in a secure neighbourhood that has a large exterior wall, a gate, a guardhouse, security, and video surveillance, according to court documents.
Authorities said security footage shows Abston scaling an exterior wall and going directly towards Young’s home.
Law enforcement says it used a special database to identify Abston as a suspect and confirmed his identity by showing his work manager a photo from the night of the incident, and then detained Abston at his workplace on Wednesday.
“Abston took substantial steps toward the commission of a kidnapping,” he court filing says.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Young said the man “walked straight to our home, knocking on the door with gloves on, a full pocket, and a nervous demeanor.”
Young called on the people of Memphis to “change how we talk to and about each other,” adding that “disagreement must never lead to violence.”
“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 continued, “The link between angry online rhetoric and real-life violence is becoming undeniable.”
Young ended by calling on the community to “choose love.”
— With files from The Associated Press
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