Kiran Velpula
Introduction
Kiran Velpula is an at-large member of the Peoria City Council in Illinois whose term runs through May 2027, who was arrested on September 11, 2026, on suspicion of driving under the influence after a series of reported crashes and erratic driving, with a preliminary breath test registering 0.285 — more than three times the legal limit. He remains on the council and faces four pending cases.
Background Information
Velpula serves as an at-large councilman, a citywide seat. The investigation received unusual handling from the start: Peoria Police said they referred the DUI portion of the investigation to the Illinois State Police after officers identified Velpula as a City Council member, a step captured in body camera footage showing officers discussing his position as the investigation continued.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Charged, not convicted. Velpula’s cases are pending. The account below comes from police reports and body camera footage obtained by 25News through public records requests, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
According to a 911 call released with the footage, a woman reported that a man driving a black Ford truck had driven into a yard after driving erratically, and that the driver was sitting in the front yard with the vehicle still running. Another woman had followed the truck for several miles after seeing it on University Street. Police reports document multiple crashes and property damage tied to the same alleged driving sequence — traffic signs, a mailbox, and another vehicle.
A first responder told police Velpula was slumped or passed out behind the wheel when they arrived. “He didn’t move at all,” the first responder said on body camera. Medics placed the truck in park and used a sternum rub to wake him. Asked by an officer what had happened during his drive home, Velpula responded, “Nothing.”
Velpula repeatedly denied drinking alcohol during the encounter. He told an officer he had taken “a lot” of NyQuil that morning because he wanted to sleep. Officers described him as too unsteady for standing field sobriety tests; a horizontal gaze nystagmus test administered while he was seated produced six clues of impairment, and he struggled to recite the alphabet from C to P and count backward from 68 to 43. Medics evaluated him at the scene and described him as hyperglycemic, with the police report listing a blood glucose reading of 287 — a potential medical explanation officers and first responders discussed on camera even as they continued the DUI investigation. Multiple first responders told officers they heard Velpula apologize to medics for “drinking so much,” though the released footage does not clearly capture him saying it himself.
A preliminary breath test on an Alco-Sensor registered 0.285. “All right. At this time, you are under arrest for DUI,” the officer says on the footage.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The Illinois State Police filed a DUI case against Velpula on September 17, 2026. The Peoria Police filed three separate major traffic cases stemming from the same night — alleging leaving the scene, failing to provide information or report property damage, and improper lane usage. The newly released records connected all of the reported crashes to one driving sequence.
The release of the body camera footage drew wide attention to the case. Velpula confirmed his upcoming court date to 25News and declined to comment on the pending cases. No council action removing him from office has been reported; the council seat is not automatically vacated by criminal charges.
Current Status
Velpula remains an at-large member of the Peoria City Council with his term running through May 2027. His DUI case was scheduled for October 16, 2026, and the three traffic cases for October 30, 2026. All four cases remain pending.
The Illinois State Police sought and received an extension to respond to a public records request for its investigative records, which 25News continues to await.
Impact on Their Career/Life
Velpula’s council career now runs in parallel with four criminal dockets, and the body camera record — a passed-out councilman behind a running truck, a triple-limit breath reading, and a NyQuil explanation — is permanently public. A DUI conviction would follow him through the rest of his term, and the leaving-the-scene allegations go to conduct, not just impairment. Whether the council or the city’s voters act remains open; as of October 2026 the only body that has formally responded is the court system.
Sources
- 25News Now (WEEK): “New video, 911 audio detail Peoria Councilman Kiran Velpula’s DUI arrest” source