Fresno Police Chief Apologizes to City Council Candidate After Toxicology Test Clears Him of DUI Allegation — Photo: Office of Congressman Bud Cramer — Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Fresno Police Chief Apologizes to City Council Candidate After Toxicology Test Clears Him of DUI Allegation
Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto called City Council candidate Naindeep Singh on Tuesday night to apologize after toxicology results cleared him of drug use — reversing course on an arrest Saturday that occurred one week before the District 1 election.
The toxicology report came back negative for any drugs, Casto announced. The department will refund towing and impound fees charged to Singh.
The reversal followed a public confrontation Monday, when over 100 supporters rallied for Singh at the Tower Theatre while he maintained his innocence. “I’m absolutely willing to say this publicly to maintain my innocence that no such thing ever occurred, will never occur, and that’s not something anyone that knows me knows that I’ve ever taken at all,” Singh told reporters.
Hours earlier Tuesday afternoon, before the toxicology results arrived, Casto had stood by the arrest at a press conference, saying Singh failed six of eight field sobriety tests when pulled over Saturday at 11:52 p.m. for expired registration tags dated to 2020. “If [Singh’s] blood results return negative, I will be the first one as your police chief to stand here and apologize to him for any inconvenience or any embarrassment caused,” Casto said then.
Singh said his registration was not expired — he renewed it June 19, 2026, and believed his 2026 tag was stolen. Casto said DMV records showed a payment earlier in 2026 that did not bring the registration fully current, and that it was brought up to date Monday, October 26, after the arrest and before the vehicle left impound.
Casto said the officer did not know Singh was a political candidate until later, and described the encounter as polite, respectful, and civil. The entire stop was captured on body-worn cameras, but Casto said the footage will not be released until the district attorney’s office decides whether to file charges.
Singh, executive director of the civil rights nonprofit Jakara Movement and a Central Unified School District Trustee, is running against former federal prosecutor Rob Fuentes for the District 1 seat. Following the arrest, Fuentes’ campaign sent a mass text message stating the incident raised questions about Singh’s judgment and that he should withdraw from the race.
Supporters questioned the timing. “One week outside of the election should be very suspicious,” Fresno resident Marvin Nakagawa said at Monday’s rally. Fresno Unified School District Trustee Genoveva Islas, who said she has known Singh for years, called the arrest “a targeted attack because [Singh] is fighting for trust and justice and will expose corruption.”
Kiel Lopez-Schmidt, a housing advocate in the Tower District, said he was with Singh at an event Saturday evening and that Singh “was as kind and sober as ever and showed no signs of intoxication.” Singh supporters also posted what appeared to be a third-party toxicology report indicating Singh tested negative for drugs in a urine screen following the police encounter.
The Breakdown
- Fresno police pulled over City Council candidate Naindeep Singh on Saturday at 11:52 p.m. for expired registration tags and cited him for driving under the influence of a drug after he failed six of eight field sobriety tests but passed a breathalyzer test.
- On Monday, Singh held a press conference with over 100 supporters, denied using drugs, and predicted he would be exonerated when toxicology results came back.
- On Tuesday afternoon, Chief Casto defended the arrest at a press conference, saying officers met the probable cause standard and that the encounter was respectful.
- Tuesday night, toxicology results came back negative for any drugs. Casto called Singh to apologize and said the department would refund towing and impound fees.
- The arrest occurred one week before the District 1 election. Singh’s opponent, Rob Fuentes, sent a mass text after the arrest calling Singh’s judgment into question and urging him to withdraw.
What This Means for You
If you are a District 1 voter, this story matters because of how the arrest and political response played out during the campaign. The arrest happened one week before the election, the opponent’s campaign immediately used it to call for withdrawal, and the toxicology results that cleared Singh came back within three days.
Chief Casto says the officer acted properly on Saturday night, and Singh is now cleared by the toxicology test. Fuentes’ campaign used the arrest before any test results to argue Singh should drop out. Singh’s supporters say the timing itself is suspect. Your vote decides this seat, and the way this played out is now part of the record you’re weighing.
What You Can Do
Contact the Fresno County Clerk’s office for your polling location and ballot status. Early voting and vote-by-mail are available now.
What to Watch
Chief Casto said body-camera footage of the stop will not be released until the district attorney decides whether to file charges. That footage is the only independent record of what actually happened Saturday night. The DA’s decision and the footage release matter because they are the only way a voter can judge this story on evidence rather than competing claims.
The toxicology report cleared Singh of drug use, but it does not answer whether the stop itself was handled appropriately. Singh’s supporters point to the timing and argue it was a targeted attack. Fuentes’ campaign used the arrest immediately to argue Singh should withdraw. Neither claim has been proven, but both are now part of this race.
Watch whether the DA files charges despite the negative toxicology report, and whether the body-camera footage is released before the election. If it is not released before voting concludes, voters will decide this race without seeing the evidence that would settle the question.
