LANSING, Mich. - UPDATE: WLUC TV6 and FOX UP has confirmed State Representative
John Kivela was found dead in his Lansing home Tuesday from an apparent
suicide.
Kivela was arrested Monday night for suspected drunk
driving. According to a source when Kivela got out Tuesday morning on a cash
bond he was physically distraught and brought to his home in Lansing.
Hours later police found him. He died from an
apparent suicide.
The family has been notified.
This statement was also released by House Democratic
Leader Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) on the death of state Rep. Kivela:
“I am deeply saddened at the passing of state Rep.
John Kivela. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Sandy, and his two
children. He was a champion for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and a strong
advocate for working people throughout Michigan. He was my friend, and I will
miss him. We will always remember the impact that he made on this institution
and the state of Michigan.”
Gov. Rick Snyder has also released a statement on
Kivela's passing:
“The news of Rep. John Kivela’s passing is
devastating to all who knew and worked with him," Gov. Snyder said.
"Lt. Gov. Calley and I spent a lot of time working with John in his district
-- he was a great person and this is very sad news. John was a tremendous
partner in the Legislature who always put the needs of his constituents in
Marquette and the Upper Peninsula first. It is with great sadness that I extend
my deepest condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and colleagues in the
Legislature as we mourn his untimely passing.”
In response to news of the tragic death of Rep.
Kivela, Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, issued the following statement:
“Like many in the U.P., I lost a dear friend with
the tragic passing of John Kivela. My staff and I feel profound sadness over
John’s death, as he was like a part of our office through the kindness and
support he offered to us," Casperson said. “I know we join many, not only
in the U.P, but across the state in holding John’s wife Sandy and their two
children in our prayers over their loss."
“I choose to remember John through the many happy
times we shared, through the friendship he offered, and through assistance he
provided to me and to so many of the constituents we shared," Casperson
said. "I also will remember the many legislative successes that were the
result of the U.P. legislators coming together and focusing on the issue and
not the ideology."
“It is part of John’s legacy and one we would do
well to remember," Casperson said. "Frankly, the working relationship
that the U.P. delegation formed was the result of John’s outreach and
personality. I will forever remember our first spaghetti dinner together —
while the homemade dinner John prepared for us was delicious, it was laughs and
the personal stories we shared that birthed the start of a friendship that I am
so grateful to have enjoyed. He is already missed and he will always remain in
our hearts.”
Wednesday morning, Northern Michigan University's
President, Fritz Erickson issued the following statement: "Northern
Michigan University lost a good friend in the death of Michigan State
Representative John Kivela. John was a friend to so many in the community and
an ardent supporter of opportunities for students in the U.P. He worked
tirelessly on behalf of the community and our students and he should be
recognized for that effort. I extend my sympathies to his wife, Sandy, and the
Kivela family. He will be greatly missed."
WLUC TV6 and FOX UP will have the latest on all
newscasts tonight.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A state representative from Marquette was found dead
from an apparent suicide Tuesday at a Lansing home he owned, hours after he was
released from jail following a Monday arrest for suspected drunk driving.
A Lansing police crime scene investigation unit was
outside a Chestnut Street home that records show is owned by John Kivela, a
Democratic state representative from Marquette.
As news of Kivela’s death began to trickle through
the Legislature, the House took on a hushed and somber tone with tears and
hugs.
A statement was expected shortly from leaders in the
Michigan Legislature.
For the second time in less than two years, Kivela
was arrested outside of Lansing Monday on suspicion of driving under the
influence of alcohol.
Kivela, who is in his third and final term in the
House and has announced he is seeking a state Senate seat, acknowledged a
lifelong drinking problem after his 2015 arrest and said he was seeking help.
At about a quarter to five Monday afternoon, a
48-year-old man was stopped on U.S.-127 after the Clinton County Sheriff's
Office received 911 calls about a vehicle driving erratically, Sheriff Lawrence
Jerue told the Free Press Tuesday.
The man, who had been arrested before for the same
offense, was put through field sobriety tests, arrested, and housed in the
county jail overnight, Jerue said. Jenue would not disclose the breath readings
the man gave, but said they were high enough to potentially justify a
"super drunk charge.
The man was released on bond Tuesday morning and was
to return for an arraignment on May 18, he said.
Jerue would not identify the man pending
arraignment, but the Free Press confirmed it was Kivela.
In the 2015 incident, Kivela was speeding at 80
miles per hour, swerving in and out of lanes and was confused about where he
was coming from when a sheriff’s deputy stopped him just north of Lansing on
Nov. 9, according to records obtained by the Free Press.
In that incident, Kivela, was charged under the
state's "super drunk" law, which is still a misdemeanor but carries
higher potential penalties, including jail time for a first offense, after he
was found driving at 80 miles per hour and swerving in and out of lanes on the
same freeway in Clinton County.
He later pleaded guilty to a charge of operating
while intoxicated, first offense, and the "super drunk" charge was
dropped.
In the 2015 incident, Kivela had an open bottle of
whiskey in his pickup truck, identified himself as a state representative and
pleaded to be let off before blowing nearly three times the legal limit in a
series of breath tests, according to a report from the Clinton County Sheriff’s
Office obtained under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act. A blood alcohol
content of .08 is considered legally drunk in Michigan. A reading of at least
.17 is required for a "super drunk" charge.
The lawmaker from the Upper Peninsula issued a
statement on Nov. 10, 2015 that said he was seeking treatment for alcoholism.
0 comments:
Post a Comment