Memphis police have arrested a man and charged him with attempted kidnapping, saying he repeatedly visited the gated community where the Democratic mayor lives, before scaling a wall and knocking on the door of his home while armed with a Taser.
The man admitted to police that he was angry with Mayor Paul Young about crime in the city, according to authorities.
Trenton Abston, 25, was booked Wednesday and has also been charged with aggravated criminal trespass and stalking. When arrested, police say he was wearing gloves, and in addition to the Taser, had a roll of duct tape and rope in his car.
Abston’s arrest in Tennessee comes just days after the murders of a state lawmaker and her husband at their home in Minnesota and the wounding of another and his wife at their residence.
The first report of a suspicious person in the neighborhood was received at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday night from the homeowners’ association president.
After scaling the community’s wall, Abston went straight to the home of the Young family, police said.
Young heard a knock on his door and saw Abston on his Ring doorbell video, clearly capturing an image of his face, police say. The man was dressed in a hoodie and had a visible bulge in his pocket.
Fearing for the safety of his family, Young did not answer the door, and the man quickly fled the scene, according to a police affidavit.
The mayor posted a statement on X, highlighting that the alarming incident came just a day after the tragic events in Minnesota.
“We’ve just learned that the individual responsible for Sunday night’s incident has been apprehended and charged by MPD,” wrote Young. “On Sunday night, around 9:30 pm, a man jumped a wall leading into our subdivision. We now know that he walked straight to our home.”
He continued: “He knocked 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.”
Vance Boelter, 57, suspected of the deadly shooting of Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the wounding of Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, has been charged with state and federal crimes.
A two-day manhunt for Boelter, described as the largest in the state’s history, ended with his arrest late on Sunday, coincidentally in the hours after Abston is accused of approaching Mayor Young’s house in Memphis.
Authorities discovered “voluminous” written material in Boelter’s car and home, including plans, lists of names, and surveillance research targeting elected officials.
In his statement on X, Memphis Mayor Young continued: “The angry rhetoric, the hateful speech, and the heated threats create a culture where violence feels like a next step instead of a red line. We cannot allow that line to be crossed. Political violence and intimidation – whether threatened or enacted – simply cannot become our norm.”
In a message to his constituents, Young added: “Memphis, we have to change how we talk to and about each other. Disagreement must never lead to violence. That cannot be our norm. Let’s do better. Let’s raise our discourse, reduce the hate, and protect one another — no matter our beliefs.”
He concluded: “Let’s reclaim our strength as one community. Let’s choose love.”
