‘Let's come together’: Moore man offers message of unity after racist incident at local gym

Contentious rhetoric about immigration was felt in the Moore community on Feb. 4. Moore resident David Rios captured a video of two people yelling at a driver with a Mexican flag on his truck. 

The night of Feb. 4 in Moore

“I don’t tolerate any bullying of any kind whatsoever,” Rios said. 

Rios’s video catches a couple who screamed words that were anything but welcome. They took issue with the Mexican national flag on one man’s truck and said, “Fly the American flag too.” The couple continued for several minutes uttering a series of threatening and explicative remarks. 

Rios captured the racial incident on his phone for evidence 

Rios works near a local gym where he saw the altercation. He pulled out his phone to ensure there was evidence of the encounter.

"I kept my composure. I was calm,” Rios said. “I just stood there quiet and just kept recording.”  

Moore Police officials are investigating 

Rios filed a report with Moore Police. News 9 is not showing the suspects’ faces or revealing their names because they face minor assault charges, according to Moore Police and Oklahoma court records. Rios said he reported this as a hate crime to send a message. 

“I don’t want this to keep happening,” Rios said. “It’s not okay.” 

The suspects’ words hit a personal nerve, Rios said. As an immigrant himself, he believes people can respect where they live and where they’re from. 

“I love America – absolutely,” Rios said. “It’s our First Amendment right. We can fly whatever we want.” 

Rios shares message of unity

Rios hopes people hear his message. Words he believes will give others the power to stand up for what is right. 

“If they have nothing nice to say about it, just don’t say anything,” Rios said. “No matter what political views you have – left or right – let's come together."

The gym owner where that incident happened said he canceled that couple’s membership and said he has no tolerance for this behavior. Moore Police officials said they will continue to investigate that incident. Rios's video caught people's attention. A popular content creator shared Rios’s video and it has two million views on TikTok.