Los Angeles County DA George Gascon's chief of staff allegedly threatened a police officer after being arrested for public intoxication. Gascon has promoted the elimination of cash bail and the releasing of offenders. He faces as recall as crime skyrockets in LA.
"Police arrested Iniguez for being under the influence and put him in jail, where he was released four hours later," The Daily Mail reports.
On the night of December 11, Joseph Iniquez and his fiance were driving through the Los Angeles suburb of Azusa when they were pulled over by police for making an illegal U-turn. Iniguez got out of the car and began filming the officer.
According to a statement released by police on Wednesday, Iniguez, who had been sitting in the passenger seat, was arrested for public intoxication under Penal Code section 647(f).
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Iniquez was booked, taken into custody, and released not long after.
Following the incident, Iniguez expressed his outrage over being arrested. As the New York Post reports, Iniguez allegedly called the officer a "f*ck up," and threatened to put him on the Brady List.
The Brady system came about as a result of the 1939 Brady v. Maryland Supreme Court case, and is essentially a list onto which police officers can be added if they are found to have acted in a way that casts doubt on their credibility.
Being added to the Brady List is quite serious, and can dramatically impact an officer's career.
"The facts of the case will eventually be released," police union president CJ Wilkins said, "and when this frivolous and retaliatory complaint is complete, I am most certain the officer will be found to have been in complete compliance with the state law, and department policy. The officer that arrested Mr. Iniguez did so with full legal authority and without malice."
The case is being forwarded to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office, the same office in which Iniguez holds a position of power as advisor to DA George Gascon.
Of his policies, Gascon has said the DA's office wants to bring efficiency and equity to the criminal justice system.
"We're trying really hard to use the science that is currently available, the data that is currently available, to do our work," Gascon said. "And I'm not going to be intimidated by political rhetoric."
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