Top aide to DA Gascón tells police, ‘You’ve pulled over the wrong person’

Authorities with the Azusa Police Department are saying new video of a controversial 2021 arrest of a top aide to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is vindication for their police officers’ action.

LADA Chief of Staff Joseph Iniguez, accused of public intoxication, was taken into custody on Dec. 11, 2021, just before midnight by APD officers, while his fiancé, who was driving, was detained on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Both were later released without police taking a blood sample for intoxication.

Iniguez, who claimed he and his fiancé were falsely arrested and discriminated against, filed a federal lawsuit against the police department, accusing officers of violating his civil rights.

The city settled the suit for $10,000, saying it was cheaper than going to trial.

At the time, officers with APD were not wearing cameras. However, in a public records request, the city of Azusa obtained video of the incident taken by Iniguez, showing how the LADA Chief of Staff and officers behaved during the ordeal.

In the footage, Iniguez is heard telling his fiancé that he doesn’t need to cooperate with the police.

“This conversation is over, don’t answer any questions,” he said. “Trust me.”

Later, Iniguez is heard asking the deputy if he ran the couple’s plates and suggested he do so and report back what he finds.

“You pulled over the wrong person,” he tells the officer. “Let me tell you.”

The investigation into the incident has been closed, but APD says the new video is, in part, vindication for their officers, that they were in fact following protocol after they say Iniguez’s fiancé made an illegal U-turn and then found a heavy odor of alcohol.

“When I saw this video, I do believe our officers were treated with disrespect, which does happen in the course of our duties. It’s not uncommon,” APD Capt. Robert Landeros told KTLA. “It’s disturbing when it involves a public official.”

In a statement to KTLA, Glen T. Jonas, Iniguez’s attorney, said:

“The video shows that Mr. Iniguez was 100%, without a doubt, falsely arrested. He was lucid, calm, direct and in full control. I would hope that all of us would try to protect their fiancé under these circumstances. Mr. Iniguez in my book is a hero, he took a false arrest and used it to protect the good citizens of Azusa who are now, because of him, protected with body-worn cameras. Without body-worn cameras, more innocent citizens would be subjected to false arrests and defamation. Mr. Iniguez donated the settlement to a nonprofit that advocates for modern approaches to constitutional policing.” 

KTLA reached out to the L.A. County DA’s office and was told Gascón does not comment on matters of personnel.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.