A Democratic lawmaker from Maryland is challenging claims that he stated he was “abiding” by the law and was “on time” during a police standoff related to a custody dispute.
The incident, which took place on New Year’s Eve, involved Caelynn Young from Delaware, Maryland. It occurred when police were called to a Baltimore residence following a confrontation between a deputy and the child’s mother. This was first reported by a local news outlet.
“Mr. Diaz, this marks our second meeting. How are you doing today?” Young said to one officer in the footage from the scene.
Young, identifying himself, noted he was a local elected official. The video shows him trying to clarify his custody arrangement with the child’s mother, stating he had dropped off their child at the agreed time, suggesting police intervention was unnecessary.
Prior to this, the child’s mother had informed officers that Young had not returned their 2-year-old to her home and mentioned his “emotional outburst” the day before.
“That’s why he won’t take me home,” she explained to the officers. “He had a meltdown yesterday. He even removed my doorbell.”
“Are you recording this?” one officer asked.
“Yes, it’s being recorded,” she confirmed.
She also mentioned she didn’t call the police for this incident. As the situation progressed, tensions rose between Young and the police. At one point, he exited his vehicle, leaving the child still inside, prompting officers to ask him to turn off the engine. “There’s a child in the car with the engine running. They can’t just leave it on,” one officer remarked.
The mother went on to inform the police that Young had formerly led the Office of Equity and Civil Rights for Baltimore’s Mayor Brandon Scott and was currently a state legislator. Not long after, the officers expressed a belief that Young felt untouchable due to his status.
“Doctor, just keep quiet,” Young directed at one officer during the altercation.
“You brought this disrespect, not me,” the officer retorted.
“I’ve followed the law—I’m not above it,” Young asserted. “Don’t say I’m above the law unless I actually break it.” He later remarked in news reports, “I don’t think I’m above the law. I am above the law.”
In a statement released Wednesday, Young reiterated his defense.
“What I meant to convey to the officers was, ‘I’m not flouting the law. I arrived on time.’ When I said ‘I’m on time,’ it was a straightforward defense of my adherence to the rules,” he explained.
“Discrepancies over the exact timing of the exchange led to law enforcement being called,” he continued. “I was clarifying to the responding officer that I arrived early and was strictly following the court-specified schedule. My remark about being ‘on time’ was simply a factual defense.”
He further criticized the portrayal of his comments, suggesting they inaccurately depicted him as arrogant or law-defying. Young called this a serious issue for journalism and demanded an apology and retraction.
Just a day after the incident, Young faced accusations of assaulting a woman in a different situation; however, the charges were later dropped. Young was also contacted for further comment.
