Mugshot Carol Fowler
Carol Fowler, a local Kansas city council member, is accused of attacking law enforcement officers, including biting one officer’s thumb so hard she broke the bone, in a bizarre sequence of events.
Fowler, who is 48-years-old and has a criminal history already, is from Huron, Kansas. Her unusual mugshot, which you can see above, has been widely shared on social media in the wake of the incident, for which she faces a felony charge. The Atchison County Sheriff’s Department brought forth the case. The Kansas town has only 73 people in it.
“I think a lot of people have been upset about it because it gives the town a bad rep,” City Clerk Paula Clem told Heavy in an interview. “Some of us have laughed about it…It’s a good town, it’s quiet, laid back, neighbors look out for each other.” She said that Fowler, who won election recently due to write-in votes, had also gotten into a “verbal altercation” with other city council members at a meeting.
“I think it’s tragic not only for the city, but for her,” said Clem.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Deputies Tried to Arrest Carol Fowler on a Warrant & Required Stun Guns to Subdue Her
Carol Fowler
The June 29, 2018 incident occurred when sheriff’s deputies in Kansas attempted to serve a warrant for failure to appear on Carol Fowler, according to ABC 15.
After stun guns were required to subdue her, Fowler was charged with “interference with, and battery on a law enforcement officer in addition to the warrant,” the television station reports, adding that the law enforcement officers were not injured in that incident.
The Kansas City Star reported that Fowler was accused of kicking and scratching in the course of the arrest.
However, it wasn’t over.
2. Fowler Is Accused of Biting a Correctional Officer’s Thumb & Was Reportedly In a Previous ‘Verbal Altercation’ With Other Council Members
Carol S. Fowler.
On July 2, 2018, Fowler is accused of going on the attack again when authorities tried to book her into the jail, according to Atchison Globe.
Jail officials “tried to remove her jewelry and personal items,” the newspaper reported, but Fowler is accused of fighting them.
“Fowler bit a corrections officer’s thumb and broke the bone,” the sheriff alleged to Atchison Globe, which added, “A deputy was also injured as a result of the incident.” The sheriff told MSC News that five officers were trying to subdue Fowler and were still having difficulty doing so.
Part of the court record on the recent charges.
Fowler was charged with two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, with one charge being a felony, MSC News reported. According to Clem, Fowler “doesn’t work” and is married to a retired quarry worker.
“I don’t know if it was December or January, but she showed up for a meeting and got into a verbal altercation with another council member and she left,” said Clem, who can’t remember what it was about. “It wasn’t anything to do with the city.”
3. Carol Fowler Is Listed as One of Five Council Members in the Small Town & She Has a Criminal History
The Atchison County, Kansas website confirms that Carol Fowler serves as one of five City Council members in tiny Huron, Kansas. The website gives her address as being in Huron.
Online records also show she has ties to Lancaster, Kansas, and a LinkedIn page lists her as a homemaker. Huron, Kansas was an important trading point with ties to the railroad, according to a history of the town.
According to Clem, Carol Fowler was also on the City Council before “about four years ago.” She said that she used to come to meetings a lot. “Prior to that she came to a lot of them. She was very productive at the ones with the past,” said Clem. Asked what kinds of stances Fowler took, Clem couldn’t remember but she said the City Council deals with issues like “paying bills and street repairs.” She said Fowler has been in the area for years.
Clem said the City Council changed its ordinance some time back to allow other council members to “oust” a member who doesn’t show up for more than three meetings. Fowler has stopped showing up, but the Council never got around to formally taking her off the Council.
“We haven’t. She hasn’t been coming,” she said.
A search of Kansas court records for Atchison County with Fowler’s name and date of birth shows she has a previous criminal history. The TR cases below stand for traffic. For example, the 2012 misdemeanor case is for speeding and not wearing her seatbelt.
Carol Fowler court record
In one of the 2011 misdemeanor cases, she was accused of issuing a worthless check under $1,000. At one point, an arrest warrant was issued, court records show. She pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay restitution.
In 2014, she was accused of “Interference with LEO; Obstruct misd warrant service or execution,” court records show. LEO means law enforcement officer. That warrant, also for failure to appear, was also executed by the Atchison County Sheriff. In 2016, there was an order terminating probation in that case. She was given a one-year stayed jail sentence and one year probation in that case at sentencing, court records show.
On December 13, 2017, Fowler was hit with another charge for alleged “Interference with LEO; obstruct/resist/oppose misdemeanor warrant service or execution.” The original charge was listed as “improper stopping, standing, or parking on roadway.” A bench trial was held in March 2018 and a guilty verdict rendered. She was sentenced for that case in May 2018. She was ordered to serve jail time.
“Defendant sentenced to the Atchison County Jail for a period of one year (interference); execution of all but three days of the same suspended; defendant to be given credit for time served; defendant placed on unsupervised probation; defendant fined $45.00 (stopping); defendant to pay court costs,” the court records say. Court records say she is 5 foot 8 inches tall and weighs 300 pounds.
4. Fowler Was Elected to the Position When She Earned Two Votes – Total
Carol Fowler
Huron is a small town. In fact, it’s so small that Carol Fowler only received two votes, and she still won the election to the City Council, according to Atchison Globe. “Those were write-ins,” Clem told Heavy.
“Atchison Globe file reports indicate Fowler was elected to one of the five Huron City Council positions after she garnered two votes in the Nov. 7, 2017 election,” the newspaper reported. “Her term in office commenced in January.”
As of July 11, 2018, jail records indicated that Carol Sue Fowler remained in the custody of the Atchison County Sheriff’s Department.
5. Carol Fowler’s Party is Listed as ‘Unaffiliated’
Some people used the bizarre nature of the mugshot to make political points. Democrat? asked conservative actor James Woods on Twitter. However, a check with the Kansas elections website shows that Carol Fowler is listed as an “unaffiliated voter.” Ten elections are listed under her election voting history.
Asked if City Council members run affiliated with political parties, Clem said no. She said she had no idea the nature of Fowler’s personal politics and hadn’t heard her saying anything political.
Fowler’s Facebook page appears to have been deleted, and Huron is so small that there is scant news on the City Council. The County website doesn’t list party affiliation. No federal campaign donations come up for Carol Fowler on the FEC website.