Ex-mayor in California who quit after criticizing Trump dies in plane crash
By The Associated Press
The former mayor of a Northern Californian city who stepped down after he harshly criticized President Donald Trump and his supporters, died Saturday in a plane crash, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Dr. Bill Kirby, who was the mayor of Auburn, died in the crash Saturday morning near the Auburn Municipal Airport, officials told the Bee.
Kirby, a urologist, was the pilot of the plane that crashed shortly after 11 a.m., the newspaper reported. A passenger in the plane suffered minor injuries and was transported to a hospital, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Bee reported that a Facebook post from Sacramento political consultant Jeff Raimundo carried a statement from the Kirby family confirming he was the victim.
“Our family is devastated by this tragic news,” the statement by the family said.
“Bill devoted decades of enthusiastic and loving support to his family, his patients and the Auburn community he loved so much. We will miss him immensely but take comfort in knowing he died while flying – one of the other loves of his life.”
Kirby, 72, had been a licensed pilot since at least 2009, according to public records cited by the Bee.
Kirby gained notoriety last week after social media posts criticizing Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and comparing the president’s supporters to KKK members. Kirby’s posts and statements created an outcry and calls for his recall.
He told the Auburn Journal a week ago that his Facebook posts were made on a personal page and that “this has nothing to do with my job. I re-posted it.”
He announced during a City Council meeting Monday that he was stepping aside from his post as mayor and was expected to be succeeded by Councilman Daniel Berlant, the Bee reported.
Auburn Mayor Arrested on Suspicion of DUI; Pills Found in Car
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After 36 years of serving the Auburn community, Dr. William Kirby was sworn in as the city's mayor.
"That was a great honor," he said, after being inducted as mayor in a ceremony by his daughter.
As vice mayor in 2015, he was next in line for the position. Monday night, his fellow council members unanimously voted him in. But just eight days before being sworn in, Dr. Kirby went to jail.
"Yeah, I was actually shocked, to tell ya. It's a very bizarre experience," Kirby said.
On Nov. 29, Dr. Kirby was on his way back from visiting his friend in Monterey, when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He said it is all a misunderstanding.
"I reached over to pick up a soda out of my car, which is on the other side of the floor, so the car swerved. It did not leave my lane," Kirby said.
According to the King City Highway Patrol, they also found prescription pills in small bags in his car.
"I'm disabled. I have 10 screws and two rods in my back," he said.
Kirby said the breathalyzer showed no alcohol in his system. But because he suffers nerve damage in his leg, and takes pain medication for his back spasms, he failed some of the field sobriety tests.
"I told them I can't do the heel toe, or the balance on my right leg, because I can't. It's weak. They did it anyway. I passed all the hand and nose and all that, and certainly I was coherent," Kirby said.
He was taken to jail and released pending lab results. In the meantime, the case is being reviewed by the Monterey County District Attorney's Office. They have until Dec. 16 to file charges.
"An arrest is an arrest, and it does look bad upon all of us. But it's important to let him have his day in court, and let him be innocent until proven guilty," Auburn City Councilman Daniel Berlant said.
As surprised as he was with the arrest, Kirby said he understood why he was taken into custody.
"They had to bring me in because it was maximum enforcement time during Thanksgiving. They did their due diligence," Kirby said.
He hopes lab results will clear him of any wrongdoing, so he can focus on what is best for the citizens of Auburn.
If charges were filed, and Dr. Kirby was found guilty of a DUI, city council members say they will revisit his appointment.
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