Kansas Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop was arrested early Tuesday morning in Topeka for allegedly driving under the influence and fleeing a law enforcement officer.
Suellentrop, a Republican, was booked into the Shawnee County corrections department Tuesday morning at approximately 3:55 a.m., according to prison records. In addition to being charged with driving under the influence and fleeing a law enforcement officer, he was also arrested on suspicion of speeding and improperly crossing a divided highway.
Capitol Police said the arrest occurred on Interstate 70 near an exit north of downtown Topeka, adding that Suellentrop was driving in the wrong direction on the highway lane, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Shawnee County booking documents show Sen. Majority
Leader Gene Suellentrop was arrested overnight and charged with DUI, speeding and fleeing or attempting to elude an officer. #ksleg pic.twitter.com/0rfNR56gt8— Stephen Koranda (@Stephen_Koranda) March 16, 2021
Shawnee County prison records currently indicate he is being held without bond, though multiple local news outlets previously reported a $1,000 bond was listed.
Other details about the arrest, including whether Suellentrop had an attorney, were not immediately clear.
Both a spokesman for the state majority leader and state Senate President Ty Masterson confirmed the arrest Tuesday, but did not offer further comment or details, according to The Kansas City Star. (RELATED: Bruce Springsteen Given $500 Fine After Pleading Guilty To One Charge In DUI Case)
Suellentrop has served in the Kansas state legislature since 2009 and became the state’s Senate majority leader in December 2020, according to the AP. The 68-year-old state lawmaker previously served in the Kansas House of Representatives for seven years before being elected to the state Senate in 2016.