A newly elected councilman in a Northern Kentucky city is accused of attacking his wife under the influence of alcohol last month.
Alexandria police arrested City Councilman Shane Collins on domestic violence and criminal mischief charges at the end of January, court records show.
Police say officers went to Collins’ home around 10 p.m. on Jan. 31 after a call came in about a fight. An officer spoke with Collins’ wife, who said the couple had been in a fight over him cheating on her. During the fight, she said Collins grabbed her shirt and ripped her to the ground, according to an incident report.
Collins was arrested that night and brought to the Campbell County Detention Center. He was released on a $500 bond the next day with an order to not have any contact with his wife.
The councilman said he had “no comment” during a call with The Enquirer on Sunday but said the charges “will be dropped on March 6,” the day he is expected to appear in court next.
Collins’ criminal history
Court records show it’s not Collins’ first arrest involving drugs or alcohol. In 2016, he admitted to driving under the influence, third offense, after Bellevue police arrested him in a late-night disturbance where he “reeked of alcohol” and was “slurring his speech.”
Police said Collins was “heard from a block away” arguing with a woman on Fairfield Avenue at 2:30 a.m. Collins was in the driver’s seat of his car and the officer asked him to exit, which he refused to do, according to the incident report.
He later was tested to have a blood alcohol content of .207%. The legal limit in Kentucky is .08%.
When asked about his prior criminal background, Collins declined to comment further.
“It’s been over 10 years,” Collins said. “People change.”
Alexandria Mayor Andy Schabel declined to comment. Councilman Stacey Graus said he’s aware of the charges and Collins’ background but reserves any thoughts on the matter. The city’s other councilmen did not immediately return calls from The Enquirer on Sunday.
Collins absent from recent city council meeting
Collins was absent from the council’s most recent meeting on Feb. 6. He was present for his first meeting as a councilman Jan. 16, when he was ceremonially sworn in and chosen as chair of the council’s safety committee.
Collins declined to comment on his absence.
At the end of the Feb. 6 meeting, the council moved into a private executive session for discussions which “might lead to” the discipline or dismissal of an employee. Alexandria Police Chief Lucas Cooper, the city administrator and city attorney were invited into the executive session, but additional details on the nature of the discussion were not released.
Collins was elected to the city council last November, beating out incumbent councilman Joe Anderson with 2,820 votes to Anderson’s 2,537.
Alexandria City Council’s next meeting is on Feb. 20. The Northern Kentucky city of 10,341 people is one of the dual county seats of Campbell County along with Newport.
