Blue City Mayor Nearly Kidnapped After Claiming City Is Getting Safer: Police

Just 1 time aft Mayor Paul Young of Memphis touted declining crime successful nan city, a man was arrested for allegedly stalking and attempting to kidnap him. 

Trenton Abston, 25, was arrested Wednesday and charged pinch attempted kidnapping, stalking and aggravated criminal trespass against Young, according to nan Memphis Police Department (MPD). 

Police said successful an announcement connected Facebook that nationalist and backstage information camera footage showed Abston scaling nan wall to nan mayor's vicinity and stepping to Young's home. He was arrested pinch a TASER, gloves, statement and duct portion successful his vehicle. 

Trenton Abston, 25, was arrested for stalking and attempted kidnapping of Memphis Mayor Paul Young connected June 18, 2025.  (Shelby County Sheriff's Office)

Thanks to a accelerated consequence by MPD officers, arsenic good arsenic information camera footage, Abston was quickly apprehended, nan section said. 

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"We understand nan concerns raised by this incident and want to reassure nan nationalist that nan Memphis Police Department remains afloat committed to nan information of each residents, including our city’s elected officials," nan constabulary section said. "We return immoderate imaginable threat earnestly and will proceed to enactment swiftly and thoroughly."

According to Shelby County, Tennessee jailhouse records, Abston remains down bars arsenic of Friday, and his enslaved has not yet been assessed. It is unclear whether he has an attorney, and nan Shelby County nationalist defender's agency could not beryllium reached for comment. 

The fishy was arrested conscionable 1 time aft Young took to X to take sides nan metropolis aft comments made by sports expert Stephen A. Smith, who said NBA players don't want to play successful Memphis owed to information concerns. 

MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 25: Memphis politician Paul Young poses for a image successful Memphis, TN connected April 25, 2025. (Photo by Brandon Dill for The Washington Post via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

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"The group successful Memphis, it’s a awesome sports municipality — awesome fans, awesome group — but there’s an constituent location wherever cats for illustration Jimmy Butler and others don’t consciousness for illustration it’s nan safest environment," Smith said connected Tuesday's version of "First Take" connected ESPN. 

"I’m talking to nan section authorities successful Memphis. You’ve sewage to cleanable immoderate of that worldly up because it’s dissuasive to NBA players. They person talked astir it. I know. They’ve told me. That’s each I’m saying." 

The remark sparked backlash from Memphis Grizzlies prima Ja Morant and from Young. 

"talkin bout nan grizz much than nan finals [laughing emoji] wit these [cap emoji] ahh sources," Morant posted connected X. "instead of focusing connected nan performances we seen from jdub/shai, tj/Siakam, really this bid is going. We opportunity sumn antagonistic astir a city/team connected a nationalist level."

Ja Morant #12 of nan Memphis Grizzlies dribbles nan shot during nan crippled against nan Miami Heat connected April 3, 2025 astatine Kaseya Center successful Miami, Florida. (Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Young besides weighed successful connected X. 

"Stephen called america a awesome sports municipality - facts," he said. "Best fans successful sports? True. People of Memphis? Unmatched."

"But what he is missing is that crime is down importantly successful 2024 and 2025. We're not conscionable talking change, we're delivering it. Memphis is rising and we've sewage nan numbers and nan bosom to beryllium it." 

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Tangle of ramps for nan I-40 interstate interchange astir nan Renasant Convention Center successful Memphis, Tennessee. (Ron Buskirk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

He besides thanked Memphians and Morant for opinionated up for nan city, and invited Smith to travel to Memphis, wherever he is invited "anytime." 

Young's agency and nan Shelby County Sheriff's Office did not instantly return remark requests. 

MPD said nan information footage was not disposable for release. 

Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.