Nov 30, 2021

KHP releases details of State Rep. Coleman's DUI arrest

Posted Nov 30, 2021 10:30 PM
Rep. Aaron Coleman following his domestic battery arrest in Johnson County Oct. 30.  He represents the 37th District in the Kansas House of Representatives
Rep. Aaron Coleman following his domestic battery arrest in Johnson County Oct. 30.  He represents the 37th District in the Kansas House of Representatives

DOUGLAS COUNTY—The Kansas Highway Patrol investigating the weekend arrest of Kansas Representative Aaron Coleman issued a statement on the incident Tuesday.

According to the KHP,  just after 1a.m. on Saturday, a State Trooper attempted to stop a speeding motorist on the Kansas Turnpike near the U.S. 59 South Lawrence exit in Douglas County.

The driver failed to yield and proceeded to take the exit before pulling into a parking lot near Plaza 202. During the traffic stop, the Trooper observed signs of possible impairment, according to the release. The agency did not indicate the signs of impairment or if they used a sobriety test on the driver identified as 21-year-old Aaron Coleman of Kansas City, Kansas. 

A DUI investigation led the Trooper to take Coleman into custody for DUI. Coleman was released to the Douglas County Jail on requested charges of DUI, speed and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. Authorities will present the case to the Douglas County Attorney.

At the time of the arrest, Coleman was already out on bond from an Oct. 30 domestic battery arrest. In that case, he allegedly pushed, hit and spit on his 18-year-old brother in a fight that erupted because the brother was going to get baptized, according to court documents.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Democrat has been embroiled in controversy since before he took office after being elected in 2020 and has acknowledged past abuses against girls and young women. A legislative committee reprimanded Coleman in writing in February over those abuses.

Last month, Coleman also was banned from the Kansas Department of Labor’s offices over allegations of disruptive behavior. Coleman said he was trying to help constituents.

On Monday, six freshman Democratic House members filed a formal complaint with House leadership alleging that Coleman had failed to comply with terms outlined in the February warning, The Kansas City Star reported. The complaint triggers the appointment of a House committee to investigate. That panel can recommend disciplinary action, including censure or expulsion from the Legislature. Both would require a two-thirds vote of the House.

Both Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman, a Republican, and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly have joined the chorus of those calling for Coleman to resign. If he refuses to resign, Kelly said, the Legislature should remove his from office, saying his latest arrest “is further evidence that he is not fit to serve in the Kansas House of Representatives.”

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.