Holyoke councilor under fire after body-cam video captures racist slurs, threats

Massachusetts State Police arrested Holyoke City Councilor Israel Rivera in December on charges of drunk driving and running a red light. 

Newly released body-camera footage shows Rivera saying racist slurs and threatening to cut the police department’s budget during the stop — comments that have now sparked a sharp backlash from local police unions.

In the second of two letters sent to city officials, the two Holyoke Police unions on Monday urged leaders to push for Rivera’s resignation, saying his behavior “raises serious ethical, professional, and moral concerns.” 

“When an elected official uses racist language, it signals contempt not only for entire communities, but for the public office they hold,” the letter read. 

“Racism does not become acceptable because it comes from a City Councilor, and threats do not become permissible because they come from a City Councilor. Silence from City leadership does not make these issues disappear — it magnifies them,” it continued. 

Note: The below video contains explicit language throughout.

Lt. Andrew DiNapoli, the president of the Holyoke Police Supervisors Union Local 409, said the union had still not received a response from the city as of Wednesday morning. 

Rivera, who is Latino, responded briefly on Wednesday to the unions’ calls: “I’m not surprised,” he told Boston.com. Regarding his next steps, Rivera said, “Resignation is not one of them.”

He declined to comment further, citing ongoing litigation.

The arrest

According to court documents, Rivera, 40, pleaded not guilty to charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to stop or yield, and speeding in Holyoke District Court on Dec. 22. 

The court released him on personal recognizance. 

Rivera will return to court for his pretrial hearing on Monday, Jan. 26, at which point, he said, he will be able to share more about his side of the story. 

According to the statement of facts submitted by the Massachusetts Police Trooper who conducted the arrest, he and another trooper first observed Rivera in a brown Buick LeSabre traveling past them at 40 mph in a 25 mph zone on Appleton Street. 

The troopers reported observing Rivera stop at a red light at the intersection of Appleton Street and Maple Street, then proceed through the intersection while the light remained red. 

The car drove up to the closed bridge — blocked by Jersey barriers, orange reflective cones, and a “BRIDGE CLOSED” sign — and then turned right onto a paved sidewalk, the troopers reported.

When a trooper approached the vehicle, he observed that Rivera had glossy eyes and a strong odor of alcoholic beverages emanating from him, according to his report. 

When he asked Rivera where he was coming from, it took him some time to answer as he said “uh” and “um.” He eventually said he was coming from an event at the Wyckoff Country Club and was heading to Racing Mart, then home, according to the report. 

The trooper asked Rivera to exit the vehicle, where he conducted a sobriety test. The trooper determined, based on his results, that Rivera was operating while under the influence. 

Rivera was placed in handcuffs and placed in the cruiser. 

What Rivera said

During the arrest, the trooper said Rivera stated:

•  “I’m a city councilor, you can’t really work with me?” 
• “That’s fine, I’ll just cut the budget.”
• “Everyone else gets a pass, but I don’t?”
• “You know who the f*** I am? I’m not a regular n****.”
• “I didn’t do anything wrong for me to be sitting back here, inebriated, ok, you got that.”

He also said, “Next year when I’m a fucking cop myself, and I take the test, I swear to God I’m gonna make you n****s look bad.” 

The troopers transported him to a police station, where he refused to take a chemical breath test. 

While Rivera was being booked, the trooper said he saw Rivera laughing about the incident. Rivera stated while on the phone, “They did the test on me. I had no choice, n***** I’m drunk as f***.” 

He added, “Even if I was sober, I wouldn’t pass the test.” 

In addition, the video, which was provided to the union by the Massachusetts State Police and edited by the unions from two and a half hours down to 20 minutes, shows Rivera in the back of the cruiser saying, “I’m gonna be your boss one day.”

The union officials also superimposed commentary over the video, noting, for instance, when Rivera mentioned the police budget, or when he used “the N word.”

“I don’t know why I approve your budget every time,” Rivera said, breaking into tears. “Never again will I approve your budget.” 

Union response

DiNapoli said the union first sent a letter to city officials at the beginning of the month, after learning of the arrest, asking that the councilor recuse himself from the Public Safety Committee. 

However, after they reviewed the footage, they sent another letter urging the city and the public to ask Rivera to resign. 

“After observing his conduct in the footage — conduct that was embarrassing, unethical, and racially offensive — we believe stronger action is warranted,” the letter said. 

Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime, and business in the New England region.