Coleman tried to “shame” his brother for wanting to get baptized, according to an affidavit. Coleman then pushed his brother backwards, hit him in the chest and spit on him, the document says.
by Steve Vockrodt, KCUR and Kansas News Service
Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman, a Kansas City, Kansas, Democrat, pushed his brother, spit on him and hit him in the chest before Overland Park police placed him under arrest last month, according to an affidavit supporting the criminal misdemeanor complaint filed against him.
Coleman was jailed on Oct. 30 after Overland Park police were dispatched to a residence on a report of a domestic disturbance.
Coleman’s arrest and the Johnson County District Attorney’s subsequent charge of domestic battery is the latest in a series of accusations of threatening and troubling behavior by Coleman going back to when he was a teenager.
Coleman, 21, was elected to the Kansas House in 2020 and represents a district that covers parts of the Turner and Argentine neighborhoods in Kansas City, Kansas.
The affidavit filed by an Overland Park police sergeant and released to the news media on Tuesday states that Coleman and his brother, both adults, started arguing earlier in the day on Oct. 30 and continued when they arrived at an Overland Park residence.
Coleman tried to “shame” his brother for wanting to get baptized, according to the affidavit. Coleman then pushed his brother backwards, hit him in the chest and spit on him, the document says.
Coleman’s grandfather told officers that Coleman had threatened to “kick his ass” before flipping over a chair and kicking a box fan.
Officers said Coleman was “extremely erratic,” not cooperative and refused to identify himself.
“AARON told officials he had not slept in 72 hours,” the affidavit said. Coleman was taken to a local emergency room after complaining of pain, but was later cleared and then taken to jail.
The affidavit, which is meant to provide probable cause for placing Coleman under arrest, provides no further details.
Coleman was charged on Nov. 1 with domestic battery and released from custody.
Coleman did not immediately respond to a voicemail outlining the descriptions in the affidavit and requesting his comments or clarification of any of the characterizations contained in the document.
Coleman has been the subject of several media reports describing his troublesome behavior.
During the 2020 campaign cycle, reports emerged that as a middle school student he had threatened to circulate a girl’s nude photographs unless she sent him more pictures — a practice commonly referred to as revenge porn. Coleman was also accused of bullying another girl to the point where she contemplated suicide.
Coleman was also arrested as a teenager for making violent threats.
At the time, Coleman apologized for most of the accusations and said the behavior was in his past and he was trying to improve as a person. A girlfriend accused Coleman of hitting and choking her when he was 19.
More recently, Coleman was banned from the offices of the Kansas Department of Labor for berating a police officer as he attempted to enter the property.
The Kansas House Democratic leadership has repeatedly repudiated Coleman and other members have called for him to resign.
A legislative complaint earlier this year stemming from past allegations was dismissed by an investigative panel. Some Democrats have promised to file a new complaint if Coleman doesn’t resign following the battery charge.
Stephen Koranda contributed to this report.
This story is part of a collaboration between KCUR and the Midwest Newsroom, an investigative journalism initiative including KCUR, IPR, Nebraska Public Media News, St. Louis Public Radio and NPR.
See more at https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-11-16/kansas-state-rep-aaron-coleman-allegedly-hit-brother-and-threatened-grandfather-on-night-of-his-arrest
