Rhode Island Democrat lawmaker arrested for DUI ordered to install car breathalyzer
Rep. Enrique Sanchez, a progressive Democrat who serves in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, was pulled over in the early morning hours of Feb. 3 after allegedly parking in an intersection.
Bodycam footage of the traffic stop that led to his arrest shows Sanchez offering the police officer a red debit card in lieu of his driver's license before telling her that he had not had anything to drink.
The footage shows Sanchez stuffing his hands in his pockets repeatedly, despite repeated orders from one police officer to remove his hands from his pockets.
"How much you drink?" one of the other officers at the scene asked Sanchez. "You reak of booze, just be honest. You smell like alcohol."
When an officer asked Sanchez if he would take a field sobriety test, he asked if he could order an Uber if he refused. An officer told him he would not be able to order an Uber, and he refused to take a field sobriety test at the scene.
In an initial court appearance on the day of his arrest, Sanchez pleaded not guilty to driving while intoxicated, and has since pleaded not guilty to lesser civil charges of refusing a chemical test and failure to obey traffic control devices.
Court records show that on Feb. 19, Sanchez's license was suspended by Cranston Magistrate William Noonan. However, he was granted a hardship license that allows him to drive to and from his day job and the State House to perform his legislative duties between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on the condition that he install an ignition interlock breathalyzer in his vehicle.
In a brief pre-trial conference on Feb. 24, the case was moved from district court to the state's Superior Court.
Sanchez's arrest has drawn calls for his resignation. On Feb. 10, he addressed the arrest in an X thread after a week of silence.
In the thread, he noted that he was thankful to his constituents for their patience, and explained his passion for his work and the people of the state of Rhode Island.
He did not apologize and instead said, "I will not let my personal actions become a distraction from the issues that truly matter – the families, businesses, and concerns of my community."
"Sometimes, we are too close to something to fully see our place in it," he said. "This experience has given me a renewed clarity about my responsibilities – not just in this chamber, but in the trust my community has placed in me. I take that trust seriously and will continue to work hard every day of my life."
Sanchez's attorney is former Rhode Island House Speaker John Harwood.
In 2023, Sanchez filed RI H5461, a bill to give illegal immigrants the right to vote in the state.
READ THE BILL: MOBILE USERS CLICK HERE
The bill was tabled for further study a month after it was introduced.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sanchez and Harwood for comment.
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