Carper remains hospitalized after stroke, heart attack and bypass surgery

Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper remains in the hospital recovering from a stroke, a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery, a family spokesman said.

“Still in the hospital, hopefully on the road to repair. It’s just taking longer than what folks had hoped,” said Tom Susman, speaking on behalf of Carper’s family.

Carper had open heart surgery on May 18.

He experienced a stroke in the days just before going into the hospital for quadruple bypass surgery, Susman said today. Carper’s family had already said he had a heart attack early that week.

“It appears he had a stroke either Sunday or Monday before the heart attack,” Susman said, citing medical diagnostic testing by the medical team.

Carper’s health is also affected by a kidney transplant a couple of years ago and diabetes, Susman said.

The next Kanawha County Commission meeting is June 22.

“At this juncture, we do not know whether Commissioner Carper’s health issues will permit him to participate in the meeting. In the meantime, I am serving as President Pro Temp, and Commissioner Wheeler and I are handling all matters before the commission,” Commissioner Ben Salango responded to a MetroNews question about Carper’s official status.

Carper has been the subject of widespread rumors about an indecent exposure incident at Daniel Boone Park on Monday of the week he was hospitalized.

“My father’s illness and his apparent confusion have been misinterpreted as being something inappropriate. My family and I regret this awful misunderstanding,” Carper’s daughter Virginia stated on May 19.

West Virginia MetroNews and other news organizations have filed Freedom of Information Act requests with the City of Charleston and with Metro 911 for incident reports and recordings of 911 calls from Daniel Boone Park from that Monday afternoon.

Each of the FOIA requests has been denied, at least for now, but they resulted in confirmation of an investigation — although they did not specify who is being investigated or any other circumstances.

Asked today if there has been any change of status, Metro 911 executive director John Rutherford referred to a probe by the Charleston Police Department.

“CPD is still investigating. So nothing has changed at this time,” Rutherford replied.

The Kanawha County Prosecutor’s Office has discussed recusing itself if a case goes forward. As a commissioner, Carper participates heavily in the annual budgeting process for the prosecutor’s office.

If necessary, the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute would assign a prosecutor from a different county to take the lead.

It wasn’t clear today if any formal steps have been made for a recusal.

Under West Virginia code, an indecent exposure charge is considered a misdemeanor punishable by no more than 90 days in jail or fine no more than $250, or both.

More punishment is possible if the exposure was done for sexual gratification. If that can be proven, the fine is no more than $500 and the jail time is no more than 12 months.





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