Man accused of stalking Memphis mayor and knocking on his door, while armed with Taser

Democrat Paul Young is the Mayor of Memphis. Photo / Brandon Dill, for the Washington Post

A man in Tennessee was arrested and charged with attempted kidnapping after police said he repeatedly visited the gated community of Memphis Mayor Paul Young before scaling a wall and knocking on his door earlier this week while armed with a Taser and wearing gloves.

Memphis police said the man admitted he was angry with the Democratic mayor and wanted to confront him about crime in the city.

Officers found a roll of duct tape, a rope, and the Taser in his car when he was booked yesterday, the department said.

Trenton Abston, 25, has also been charged with aggravated criminal trespass and stalking.

Police initially responded to a report of a suspicious person in the neighbourhood at about 9.30pm local time on Sunday (Monday NZT), after the homeowners’ association president noticed an unknown man in the area. After scaling a wall, Abston went directly to Young’s home, police said.

Young then heard a knock on his door and saw Abston - who was dressed in a hoodie and had a visible bulge in his pocket - on his Ring doorbell video, which clearly captured his face, a police affidavit said.

Young and his family feared for their safety and did not answer the door, and the man quickly fled from the scene, according to the affidavit.

In a statement posted to social media yesterday, Young broadly denounced acts of “political violence” and referenced the recent fatal shooting of Minnesota’s former House speaker, Representative Melissa Hortman (Democrat), and her husband, Mark Hortman. The suspect also allegedly shot and wounded Minnesota state Senator John Hoffman (Democrat) and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, in an occurrence that rattled politicians and the United States at large.

“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. The link between angry online rhetoric and real-life violence is becoming undeniable,” Young said in his statement online.

“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,” he added. “We cannot allow that line to be crossed.”

Young, 45, was elected Mayor of Memphis in 2023 after running on a platform that included public safety and gun violence as key issues.

The recent rampage in Minnesota, which authorities say was carried out by a lone gunman who had also visited at least two other legislators’ homes, follows several other attacks on elected officials in recent years.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (Democrat) called the fatal shooting a “politically motivated assassination”.

The killing prompted some government and political offices to boost security this past week, and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (Democrat-New York) called for “immediate steps” to protect elected officials as well as increased funding for Capitol Police.

Abston is set to be arraigned tomorrow. A court hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday. It was not immediately clear whether Abston has a lawyer.