By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
INGLEWOOD — The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office has ruled the death of a man who died during a March traffic stop was an accident.
Bryan Bostic, 37, died during a late-night traffic stop on March 10. The cause of death being made public comes weeks after his family had pressed the members of the Inglewood City Council for answers.
“The county of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner determined the cause and manner of death for 37-year-old Bryan Bostic as the effects of methamphetamine. The manner of death is accident,” wrote the agency in a release published to its website.
The medical examiner’s office published its findings May 28.
His family disputes the medical examiner’s findings, given the release of a video showing members of the Inglewood Police Department in a struggle with Bostic as they attempted to take him into custody.
“Can we know why he was pulled over in the first place?” asked Lia Dias, a longtime Inglewood business owner.
The press release issued by the medical examiner’s office explains why Bostic was pulled over.
“The officers observed drug paraphernalia in Mr. Bostic’s car, and a physical altercation occurred between Mr. Bostic and the officers trying to take him into custody,” the release said. “Emergency medical services personnel were called to the scene to check on Mr. Bostic and medically cleared him before officers transported him to the Inglewood Police Department station.
“Upon arriving at the station, officers found Mr. Bostic unresponsive in the patrol vehicle, and resuscitation efforts began. EMS paramedics [with the Los Angeles County Fire Department] responded. A clear plastic baggie with an unknown substance was found in Mr. Bostic’s mouth.”
For weeks, neither Inglewood Mayor James Butts nor Police Chief Mark Fronterotta has disclosed to the public why Bostic was pulled over.
The mayor and police department spokesperson Lt. Scott Collins could not be reached for comment to clarify how officers observed drug paraphernalia in his car and whether it was before or after he was pulled over.
According to the agency, “The Department of Medical Examiner was notified of the death at 07:30 hours on March 11 and arrived on scene at 09:21 hours.”
After Bostic’s death, his family and community have held weekly rallies at the scene of the traffic stop, demanding the city outfit its officers with body-worn cameras.
On April 28, the City Council unanimously approved a multi-million dollar police technology package that includes body-worn cameras for department personnel.
Mayor Butts shared that the names of nearly two dozen police personnel were provided to investigators with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Bostic’s family commissioned an independent autopsy but has not disclosed those findings with the public.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
