Memphis man charged with attempted kidnapping after allegedly trespassing at mayor’s home

CNN A man is accused of trying to kidnap the mayor of Memphis Tennessee after being seen on surveillance video climbing a wall in the city leader s neighborhood and beelining for his home late Sunday according to police A Taser gloves rope and duct tape were discovered in -year-old Trenton Abston s automobile when he was arrested Memphis police mentioned Wednesday noting the arrest was made after officers reviewed masses and private defense camera footage from the area near Mayor Paul Young s home Young looked at his Ring doorbell video and observed the unknown male wearing a hoodie and gloves standing at the door according to a police document obtained by CNN affiliate WHBQ The mayor feared for his safety and didn t answer the door the analysis stated Police say the suspect acknowledged looking up the mayor s address and explained he required to confront him about crime in Memphis WHBQ announced The alleged attempted kidnapping of the Memphis mayor happened less than hours after a gunman in Minnesota shot two state lawmakers and their spouses early Saturday Democratic Minnesota Rep Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed while Democratic Sen John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were injured after being shot multiple times Abston is charged with attempted kidnapping stalking and aggravated criminal trespass police noted The suspect allegedly walked straight to our home and was then seen knocking on the door with gloves on a full pocket and a nervous demeanor Young announced in a message on social media The Memphis mayor who took office in January tied the case to angry online rhetoric and noted its proximity to the Minnesota shootings In this day s environment especially after the tragic events in Minnesota and the threats my wife and I often receive online none of us can be too careful Young wrote in an Instagram post that included a photo of his family The link between angry online rhetoric and real-life violence is becoming undeniable Abston is at this moment being held at the Shelby County Sheriff s Office jail according to online records He is set to appear in court on Friday CNN is working to identify an attorney for him Increasing threats to politicians and the Minnesota attacks have heightened concerns over the defense of general bureaucrats Last year threats against federal lawmakers surged with US Capitol Police inspecting over cases a staggering rise from the previous year Memphis mayor urged the country to do better after the happening at his home Let s raise our discourse reduce the hate and protect one another no matter our beliefs Let s reclaim our strength as one district Let s choose love Young announced