North Dakota State Representative Nico Rios, filmed by officers taking him into custody in a video that has gone viral on the internet, was warned by the officer questioning him that the encounter was being recorded by a police body camera. The officer noted, seemingly for Rios’s benefit, that Rios’s profane language would be made part of the official record.
Rios, however, continued to use profanity in speaking with the officer. He also threatened to call fellow Republican and North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley to report that he was being treated poorly — though Rios used R-rated language rather than saying “poorly.”
“You’re gonna regret picking on me because you don’t know who the (blank) I am,” Rios says in the video.
North Dakota Republicans call for Nico Rios’ resignation after DUI and racist, homophobic ranthttps://t.co/4EBS8pKbkS
— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) December 26, 2023
North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley, whom Rios threatened to call, served as U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota during both the Trump and Biden administrations before becoming AG. He has not addressed the incident on social media — his most recent tweet is a share of a post by his daughter, a Turning Point USA Rushmore College Field Representative, which claims “Jesus is winning.”
Jesus is winning. Times Square went dark for the first time and then all 27 billboards lit up telling the story of Jesus’ birth! Merry Christmas to all🎄✝️☮️🕊️
— Quinn Wrigley (@QuinnWrigley) December 24, 2023
Republican lawmakers in the state, including ND Republican House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, “have called on a North Dakota lawmaker to resign after he lashed out at police with homophobic and anti-migrant remarks,” according to AP.
WCPT Radio reports that “Rios took office in January after being elected in 2022. He currently sits on the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees law enforcement legislation.”
