A Tennessee man who reportedly wants to be a cop is accused of showing up at the door of Memphis Mayor Paul Young, prepared to kidnap him Sunday night.
Trenton Abston, 25, was taken into custody three days after allegedly scaling a wall surrounding Young’s gated neighborhood, then knocking on his door armed with a Taser — all while in his car were gloves, duct tape and rope, according to Memphis police.
Abston was charged with attempted kidnapping, stalking and aggravated criminal trespass after investigators reviewed security footage and identified him as the one targeting the mayor’s home.
The East Memphis resident appeared in court on Friday where he entered no plea, though his family said he’s “remorseful” for his alleged actions.
The suspect’s uncle told local paper the Commercial Appeal that Abston loves his city and wants to be an asset to it.
“He really wants to be a police officer, and he’s concerned about the city of Memphis,” Theodore Martin said, suggesting that his nephew only had a Taser and restraints because he works in the security business.
Authorities claim in an affidavit that Abston “took substantial steps toward the commission of a kidnapping,” according to the Commercial Appeal. That allegedly included driving by Young’s residence multiple times in May and June to make sure he had the right address.
While being questioned by police, Abston allegedly said he went Young’s home to “confront” the mayor about the crime rate in Memphis.
The Commercial Appeal reported in April that crime in the city is overall in decline and that murder rates were stagnant for the first quarter of 2025. However, during a TV appearance in May, FBI Director Kash Patel dubbed Memphis the “Homicide Capital of America.“
