Moment woke LA DA George Gascon’s right hand man is arrested in DUI stop and how he used his influence to get a $10,000 payout from the cops

Video shows Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon’s right-hand man telling police “you pulled over the wrong person” and being arrested after police in Asuza, California pull over his then-fiancée for driving under the influence while driving back from a wedding in 2021.

Joseph Iniguez, who has since been promoted to chief deputy district attorney and won a $10,000 payout from police, was riding shotgun when he and his then-fiancée were arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.

Iniguez, then DA Gasco’s chief of staff, can be heard saying in a video: “You arrested the wrong person, let me tell you.”

He also urged officers to check his license plates as they would indicate his connection to the LA County DA’s office.

“This isn’t right… This is why, when they talk about law enforcement and like our interactions with law enforcement, he did the right thing tonight and drove me. We were at a wedding’.

Iniguez was subsequently arrested on charges of public intoxication and interfering with police officers. However, in July 2023, Iniguez was able to settle his lawsuit with the Azusa Police Department following his 2021 arrest.

You also hear him repeatedly tell his fiancée that he is not allowed to talk to the officers, while one officer tells him: ‘Just let him do his job’.

As an officer tries to question the driver, Iniguez shouts, “FSTs are completely voluntary and not required by law.”

This refers to field sobriety tests, which police conduct to determine a driver’s alcohol intake level.

Under California law, prosecutors are not allowed to assist in the defense of suspected criminals, according to FindLaw.

After handcuffing his fiancée, a police officer approaches Iniguez and also arrests him on charges of public intoxication.

Still from a jail surveillance video shows an Azusa, California police officer escorting George Gascon’s right-hand man, Iniguez, to a cell after a 2021 stop for public intoxication

A still image from jail surveillance video shows Los Angeles Chief Deputy District Attorney Joseph Iniguez calling from jail following a 2021 arrest for public intoxication

“Sir, you are currently in public and you are intoxicated… You are now under arrest,” the officer is heard saying.

The video was recorded by Iniguez on his cell phone.

Later footage from a jail surveillance video shows Iniguez calling from a cell after his arrest.

Last year, Iniguez received a $10,000 settlement from Asuza after he filed a lawsuit over the incident, alleging federal civil rights violations last July.

Commenting on his settlement victory, he said: “Bad policing is a blight on our community and must be addressed.

“While I have taken this action to hold them to account, many people with less knowledge of the system are having bad experiences with police, which is damaging their trust in some of our most important officers.”

He said he planned to donate the settlement to the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a nonprofit that advocates for criminal justice reform.

As reported by the LA Times, Iniguez’s fiancée was pulled over for making an illegal U-turn, and officers tried to determine if his driving was impaired.

The arresting officer had said Iniguez was arrested because he was combative, slurred his words and had “bloodshot” eyes.

The couple, who are now married, were returning from another accuser’s wedding.

He claimed he got out of the car to film the interaction because he was concerned about his fiancée.

Gascon is a progressive prosecutor who has been vocal about his belief that the criminal justice system should focus more on intervention and rehabilitation, labeling the “tough on crime” policy as racist and a failure.

According to Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Iniguez is a “strong advocate for introducing modern approaches to public safety” and believes in “sensible reforms that focus on community safety, and is passionate about tackling the pipeline of school to prison through alternatives to incarceration.”

According to his Instagram, he is the first gay district attorney elected to the LA County district attorney’s office.