District 4 Candidate David Rios defends his actions in resurfaced video capturing confrontation

District 4 Palm Springs City Council candidate, David Rios is offering an explanation to a video capturing a confrontation between him and another man that's been circulating.

He says the video has been "selectively edited" to portray him as an aggressor.

The video was taken in March of last year and has resurfaced in the months leading to the District 4 race. 

In a statement that David Rios shared with us exclusively he shared that he believes the video was obtained by Councilmember Christy Holstege and is being used as a "political smear."

That video was sent into our newsroom anonymously Tuesday.

We reached out to Rios to confirm whether or not that was him in the video and he shared the following statement with us. 

"On March 4, 2023, I responded to a call for help from a close friend whose short-term rental property in Palm Springs had been breached by an unknown man. The group of six women staying at the property were terrified to find a stranger inside the home, and I was asked to ensure their safety. Without hesitation, I arrived at the property and confronted the intruder. The man became aggressive—throwing a drink at me and lunging forward, armed with a glass. In that moment, I feared for my safety and used reasonable force to protect my life and ensure the safety of the women. I restrained the man until he could be safely removed from the property. A police report was filed, and the officers, after reviewing the video footage and details of the incident, confirmed that my actions were both necessary and justified."

-District 4 Candidate, David Rios

Rios also said the video has been selectively edited falsely portraying him as the aggressor and failing to include the moments where he was attacked beforehand. 

Rios' statement to our newsroom continued to say the following:

This video was obtained by Councilmember Christy Holstege through her brother-in-law and is being used to push a misleading narrative aimed at damaging my reputation. This is nothing more than a political smear. Holstege is once again abusing her position of power and maligning others for personal and political gain. She knows her candidate, Naomi Soto, cannot run on her own record, so they have resorted to desperate tactics like this. 

I want to set the record straight: I did not attack a homeless man. I stepped in to protect a group of vulnerable women from an intruder who had entered their home without permission. 

-District 4 Candidate, David Rios

We have reached out to Palm Springs Police Department officials and are waiting to receive more details about the report filed on the night of the incident. 

A PSPD spokesperson has confirmed the person Rios was striking was a suspect in a residential burglary report. 

We also reached out to Councilmember Holstege to hear her response to Rios’ claims. 

She shared in a statement to News Channel 3, "I can say categorically that I have no knowledge of this video's origin, nor does this incident involve me in any way." 

This isn’t the first time that Rios and Holstege have been linked . 

In a recent i-team investigation, Peter Daut reported that Christy Holstege named David Rios among other Palm Springs Councilmembers and residents in a public records request. 

You can find that full story HERE.

Stay with News Channel 3 for any updates.