Man arrested, accused of attempting to kidnap Memphis, Tenn. mayor
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.
View image in full screen
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.
Story continues below advertisement
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.
Get daily National news
Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
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.
Story continues below advertisement
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.'
We've just learned that the individual responsible for Sunday night's incident has been apprehended and charged by MPD.
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. pic.twitter.com/nCE9Euw2tQ
— Paul Young (@mayorpaulyoung) June 18, 2025
Story continues below advertisement
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
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
U.S. has struck three Iranian nuclear sites, Trump says, joining Israeli air campaign
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict. The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,' Trump said in a post on social media. 'All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.' Story continues below advertisement The strikes are a perilous decision for the U.S. as Iran has pledged to retaliate if it joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally, having won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below. Israel 's military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran's foreign minister warned that U.S. military involvement 'would be very, very dangerous for everyone.' The prospect of a wider war threatened, too. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joins Israel's military campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the U.S. The U.S. ambassador to Israel announced the U.S. has begun 'assisted departure flights,' the first from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. Israel's military said it struck an Iranian nuclear research facility overnight and killed three senior Iranian commanders in pursuit of its goal to destroy Iran's nuclear program. Smoke rose near a mountain in Isfahan, where the province's deputy governor for security affairs, Akbar Salehi, confirmed Israeli strikes damaged the facility. The target was a centrifuge production site, Israel's military said. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed the attack and said the facility — also targeted in the war's first day — was 'extensively damaged,' but that there was no risk of off-site contamination. Story continues below advertisement Iran again launched drones and missiles at Israel but there were no reports of significant damage. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity under army guidelines, estimated the military has taken out more than 50% of Iran's launchers. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We're making it harder for them to fire toward Israel,' he said. The Israeli military's chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, later said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told the army to prepare for a 'prolonged campaign.' U.S. aerial refueling tankers on the move U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing active U.S. military involvement in the war, and was set to meet with his national security team Saturday evening. He has said he would put off his decision for up to two weeks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said U.S. military involvement 'would be very, very dangerous for everyone.' He spoke on the sidelines of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Turkey. Araghchi was open to further dialogue but emphasized that Iran had no interest in negotiating with the U.S. while Israel continues to attack. Barring a commando raid or even a nuclear strike, Iran's underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility is considered out of reach to all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. The U.S. has only configured and programmed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb, according to the Air Force. Story continues below advertisement On Saturday, multiple U.S. aerial refueling tankers were spotted on commercial flight trackers flying patterns consistent with escorting aircraft from the central U.S. to the Pacific. B-2 bombers are based in Missouri. It was not clear whether the aircraft were a show of force or prepared for an operation. The White House and Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment. The war's toll The war erupted June 13, with Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear and military sites, top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 722 people, including 285 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 2,500 wounded, according to a Washington-based Iranian human rights group. One Tehran resident, Nasrin, writhed in her hospital bed as she described how a blast threw her against her apartment wall. 'I've had five surgeries. I think I have nothing right here that is intact,' she said Saturday. Another patient, Shahram Nourmohammadi, said he had been making deliveries when 'something blew up right in front of me.' Several Iranians have fled the country. 'Everyone is leaving Tehran right now,' said one who did not give his name after crossing into Armenia. For many Iranians, it is difficult to know what's going on. Internet-access advocacy group said Saturday that limited internet access had again 'collapsed.' A nationwide internet shutdown has lasted for several days. Iran has retaliated by firing more than 450 missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, according to Israeli army estimates. Israel's multitiered air defenses have shot down most of them, but at least 24 people in Israel have been killed and over 1,000 wounded. Story continues below advertisement No date has been set for more talks after negotiations in Geneva failed to produce a breakthrough Friday. Iran's nuclear program Iran has long maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with a nuclear weapons program but has never acknowledged it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel's military operation will continue 'for as long as it takes' to eliminate what he called the existential threat of Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missile arsenal. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday that his country will never renounce its right to nuclear power, which 'cannot be taken away from it through war and threats.' Pezeshkian told French President Emmanuel Macron via phone that Iran is ready to provide guarantees and confidence-building measures to demonstrate the peaceful nature of its nuclear activities, according to IRNA, the state-run news agency. Iran previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. Iran has insisted on its right to enrich uranium — at lower levels — in recent talks over its nuclear program. But Trump, like Israel, has demanded Iran end its enrichment program altogether. Story continues below advertisement Attacks on Iranian military commanders Israel's defense minister said the military killed a paramilitary Revolutionary Guard commander who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Iranian officials did not immediately confirm Saeed Izadi's death, but the Qom governor's office said a four-story apartment building was hit and local media reported two people had been killed. Israel also said it killed the commander of the Quds Force's weapons transfer unit, who it said was responsible for providing weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas. Behnam Shahriyari was killed while traveling in western Iran, the military said. Iran threatens head of UN nuclear watchdog Iranian leaders say IAEA chief Rafael Grossi's statements about the status of Iran's nuclear program prompted Israel's attack. On Saturday, a senior adviser for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei, Ali Larijani, said on social media, without elaboration, that Iran would make Grossi 'pay' once the war is over. Grossi on Friday warned against attacks on Iran's nuclear reactors, particularly its only commercial nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. A direct hit 'would result in a very high release of radioactivity,' Grossi said, adding: 'This is the nuclear site in Iran where the consequences could be most serious.' Israel has not targeted Iran's nuclear reactors, instead focusing on the main uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, centrifuge workshops near Tehran, laboratories in Isfahan and the country's Arak heavy water reactor southwest of the capital.
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
New Texas law will require Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas will require all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments under a new law that will make the state the nation's largest to attempt to impose such a mandate. The bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, is expected to draw a legal challenge from critics who consider it an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church and state.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
New Texas law will require Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas will require all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments under a new law that will make the state the nation's largest to attempt to impose such a mandate. The bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, is expected to draw a legal challenge from critics who consider it an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church and state. A similar law in Louisiana was blocked when a federal appeals court ruled Friday that it was unconstitutional. Arkansas also has a similar law that has been challenged in federal court. The Texas measure easily passed in the Republican-controlled state House and Senate in the legislative session that ended June 2. 'The focus of this bill is to look at what is historically important to our nation educationally and judicially,' Republican state representative Candy Noble, a co-sponsor of the bill, said when it passed the House. The Ten Commandments laws are among efforts, mainly in conservative-led states, to insert religion into public schools. Texas lawmakers also passed a bill that lets school districts provide students and staff a daily voluntary period of prayer or time to read a religious text during school hours. Texas' law requires public schools to post in classrooms a 16-by-20-inch (41-by-51-centimeter) poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the commandments, even though translations and interpretations vary across denominations, faiths and languages and may differ in homes and houses of worship. Supporters say the Ten Commandments are part of the foundation of the United States' judicial and educational systems and should be displayed. Opponents, including some Christian and other faith leaders, say the Ten Commandments and prayer measures infringe on others' religious freedom. A letter signed this year by dozens of Christian and Jewish faith leaders opposing the bill noted that Texas has thousands of students of other faiths who might have no connection to the Ten Commandments. Texas has nearly 6 million students in about 9,100 public schools. In 2005, Abbott, who was state attorney general at the time, successfully argued before the Supreme Court that Texas could keep a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of its Capitol. Louisiana's law has twice been ruled unconstitutional by federal courts, first by U.S. District Judge John deGravelles and then again by a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which also considers cases from Texas. State Attorney General Liz Murrell said she would appeal and pledged to take it to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
