Tennessee: Memphis Democrat mayor who was ‘stalked’ and ‘nearly kidnapped’ had touted the safety of his city just days prior

(Background) STOCK IMAGE. (Photo via: Brad Vest/Getty Images) / Democrat Memphis Mayor Paul Young. (Photo via: youngformemphis.com)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
4:25 PM – Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Just days before he was “stalked and nearly kidnapped,” according to local authorities, Memphis Democrat Mayor Paul Young had ironically emphasized the city’s safety, citing a “declining crime rate” as evidence.

Prior to the purported kidnapping attempt by suspect Trenton Abston, 25, Young had praised the city’s declining crime rate in response to an argument made by ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, who argued that NBA players are disincentivized to play for the Memphis Grizzlies team, due to safety concerns.

“The people in Memphis, it’s a great sports town – great fans, great people – but there’s an element there where cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel like it’s the safest environment,” Smith recently stated.

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“I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis. You’ve got to clean some of that stuff up because it’s dissuasive to NBA players. They have talked about it. I know. They’ve told me. That’s all I’m saying,” he added.

Young responded to Smith’s analysis of the crime rate in Memphis, stating: “Stephen called us a great sports town – facts. Best fans in sports? True. People of Memphis? Unmatched. But what he is missing is that crime is down significantly in 2024 and 2025. We’re not just talking change, we’re delivering it. Memphis is rising and we’ve got the numbers and the heart to prove it.”

Despite Young’s praise for the decreasing crime rate in Memphis, Young’s home was ambushed by 25-year-old Abston, who has since been charged with stalking, attempted kidnapping, and aggravated criminal trespass.

Police noted that security camera footage showed Abston climbing a wall that leads into Young’s neighborhood, where he then walked up to his residence at around 9:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, before knocking on the mayor’s door “with gloves on … and a nervous demeanor.”

However, Abston fled before anyone could answer the door. Following the incident, Abston was quickly apprehended, and law enforcement officers discovered a “taser, gloves, duct tape, and rope” in his vehicle — items that suggest a kidnapping had been planned.

“We understand the concerns raised by this incident and want to reassure the public that the Memphis Police Department remains fully committed to the safety of all residents, including our city’s elected officials,” the Memphis Police Department stated. “We take any potential threat seriously and will continue to act swiftly and thoroughly.”

Abston allegedly found the mayor’s address online and he wanted to confront him, according to a local Fox affiliate. The affidavit also stated that Abston had admitted “he was angry at Paul Young and was armed with a [Taser] when he went to the residence.”

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