Body-cam shows drunk driving arrest of RI state Rep. Enrique Sanchez
By: Finding videos takes time and effort, keep me motivated by donating to paypal.me/thisisbutter
-----
Providence state Rep. Enrique Sanchez has been arrested and charged with drunk driving in Cranston, and police cited him for refusing a sobriety test, according to Col. Michael Winquist.
The second-term Democrat pleaded not guilty and was released after his arraignment Monday morning. Winquist said Sanchez was pulled over early Monday morning after an officer was waiting behind him while he was stopped at a green light on Reservoir Avenue.
Target 12 obtained body-worn camera footage of the arrest, showing Sanchez was pulled over at about 3 a.m.
Sanchez did not immediately respond to a call and text seeking comment.
The officer who arrested Sanchez said the lawmaker was disoriented and smelled like alcohol. Sanchez initially denied that he’d been drinking, according to the officer, but later admitted to having a drink. He told the officer he was on his way back to Providence from a friend’s house in Central Falls, but he was driving away from Providence at the time, Winquist said.
Sanchez initially pulled out his debit card when looking for his license, according to body-worn camera.
Winquist said the lawmaker also told the officer he had taken his medically prescribed Adderall. After making a couple phone calls, Sanchez refused to consent to a Breathalyzer test, Winquist added.
When asked if he wanted to take the test, Sanchez said, “If I request to do no, can I order Uber?”
“You can say ‘no’ to the test, but you’re not going to order an Uber,” the officer responded.
He was arrested and held in jail overnight.
Sanchez’s arrest was first reported by radio host John DePetro.
Sanchez, 28, is a progressive and one of the most outspoken members of the House, posting frequently on social media. Last month he was the only House Democrat who declined to support Joe Shekarchi’s reelection as House speaker, arguing that the plans of top state leaders “will not do nearly enough” to tackle the state’s biggest problems.
House spokesperson Larry Berman said, “Speaker Shekarchi learned about Rep. Sanchez’s arrest from media reports and we do not know the full extent of the circumstances.”
“Our office is in the process of gathering more information,” he added.
Sanchez was scrutinized in 2023 after body-worn camera video emerged showing him arguing with Providence police outside an illegal after-hours bar.
Sanchez was behind the steering wheel of a car outside the illegal drinking establishment, located inside a home on Ashmont Street.
Police confronted the lawmaker and criticized him for defending the household bars — also known as “sip joints” — where people go to drink alcohol after hours, typically for a fee.
“I’m curious why you’re here this late at night and you’re a state rep,” police said in the video. “You’re helping to contribute to a problem.”
Following his Monday arrest, Rhode Island Young Republicans released a statement criticizing Sanchez and calling for his resignation. They highlighted the 2023 incident as well.