Body cam footage captures Riverview councilman-elect making racially charged statements to police

RIVERVIEW, Mich. - Body cam footage released from the night a recently-elected city councilman in Riverview allegedly crashed his vehicle just hours after winning the election shows multiple incidents of the individual making racially-charged remarks.

David Robbins, 34, repeatedly mentioned a man's race during a late-night conversation with police hours after he said he got an argument with the man, alleging that the individual had tried to stab him.

"Why is everyone worried about the fact I have my keys when the fact that a Black guy tried to kill me?" he tells police at his home. The body cam footage was recorded on the night of Nov. 4.

Robbins was being questioned by police on the front porch of his house about a suspected drunk driving incident involving the councilman's vehicle. According to police, they found a Ford Fusion with front end damage in a parking lot next door to a bar that Robbins said he was at that night. 

The vehicle was registered to Robbins.

"We found a tree that got ran over in the middle of Fort Street. We found the car in the DaVita Dialysis parking lot. Car was registered to you. It's got front end damage and like a pine tree sticking out of it," the officer explained. 

He's since been charged with multiple counts of reckless driving and operating while intoxicated.

Body cam footage from the evening begins in the parking lot of a Zorba's Coney Island on Fort Street where police had separated Robbins from another man following an argument. In the parking lot and at home, Robbins repeatedly refers to the man's race. At one point, he says, "This riff-raff comes into our city. You have no business being here." 

During one exchange with an officer, Robbins says the man had tried to stab him. However, he declined to make a complaint after an officer asked if he would want to.

Then Councilman-elect David Robbins outside the Zorba's Coney Island on Fort Street the night he allegedly drove drunk.

Police had originally responded to the 18000 block of Fort Street after reports of a crash. They broke up the argument soon after arriving at the Coney island. 

Later on in the evening, police arrive at Robbins' home where he's reluctant to talk to them. After a few minutes of discussion, Robbins exits his home to talk to police.

Robbins: "Dammit, I didn't do (expletive) - the guy tried to stab me and I hit him until he stopped, that's it."

Police: "That is not why we're here."

Robbins: "So why are we here? What's going on?"

Officer: "Besides that, what do you think could be the other reason why we're here?"

Robbins: "I'm really not sure because I know a Black man attacked me at Zorba's."

Police said they were talking to Robbins because a vehicle with major front-end damage registered to him was found in a parking lot near the bar Slip Mahoneys. Robbins denied drunken driving and said he assumed his vehicle was still at the bar. 

RELATED: Newly-elected councilman in Riverview charged with drunken driving hours after winning election

As officers try to discern more information from Robbins about the status of his vehicle, he returns to the argument him and the man were in when police arrived. 

"Some random-ass Black dude, who probably had no (expletive) business being in our city in the (expletive) first place," Robbins told police. 

Robbins has since been charged with operating while intoxicated, reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident. The Wayne County Prosecutor called Robbins' actions "Shocking and disappointing."

A preliminary exam is scheduled for Jan. 6 in the 27th District Court.