By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
INGLEWOOD — Family, friends, and supporters gathered at City Hall March 24 to demand answers from Inglewood officials about the death of 37-year-old Bryan Bostic.
Bryan Bostic died in the custody of the Inglewood Police Department during a routine traffic stop on March 10.
One by one, Bostic’s family came to the podium during the public comment portion of the meeting to berate the council for the lack of information surrounding his death.
Despite several public comments made by Inglewood Mayor James Butts, it has not been disclosed why Bostic was pulled over.
Butts explained the process of what happens after a person dies in the custody of police.
“We call the district attorney’s rollout team, and they come to the scene and conduct an independent investigation,” Butts said. “Internally, there’s an investigation done when there’s a death in custody because we have no evidence that there was a shooting.”
He described the process as being “very difficult”.
“At some point, the coroner is going to make a finding as to what the cause of death was, and that’s critical because if they find out there was blunt force trauma or they find there was asphyxiation due to manual asphyxiation, then you’re going to have death at the hands of another,” Butts said.
The department fired five officers who were found to have violated policy in the 2016 shooting deaths of Marquintin Sandlin and Kisha Michael.
In discussing the Bostic incident publicly for the first time, Butts initially described a chaotic scene that resulted in officers calling for backup after a struggle ensued between Bostic and Inglewood officers.
“He had a contusion on his cheek and was sweating profusely, but was cleared by paramedics to be taken and booked into custody,” Butts said.
Butts described officers calling for assistance from paramedics both during the traffic stop in the 400 block of East Hillcrest Boulevard and once they arrived at the Inglewood Police Station, which is less than a mile away.
The only known camera footage of what took place was located at Mr. Fries Man, a local business that was open at the time of the incident. Photos taken from inside the restaurant were shared during a news broadcast.
Activist Najee Ali, the business owner, and Bostic’s family have described the business as being “raided” in the days following Bostic’s death.
Ali has called for California Attorney General Rob Bonta to conduct an independent investigation into the police department.
All of the members of the City Council offered condolences to the Bostic family, except for District 2 Councilman Alex Padilla,
District 1 Councilwoman Gloria Gray, where Bostic’s death occurred, reaffirmed her position on Inglewood officers being outfitted with body cameras to provide more answers to the public surrounding interactions between officers and the public.
“As a mother, my heart really goes out to you,” Gray told Bostic’s family. “I want you to know that I stand with you in your call for transparency and am seeking answers just as you are.”
She also vowed to get the Bostic family “justice” and a transparent process into the investigation.
“I will do everything in my power to ensure this matter is handled with the openness and urgency that it deserves,” Gray added.
District 3 Councilman Eloy Morales shared that he understands the family’s frustration in getting answers.
“These meetings are never easy where there’s such a big event that brings us out, and in this case, our deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Bostic, and we understand the frustration and all that you are going through,” Morales said. “We just want this process to take its course, and whatever the results are, we understand.”
District 4 Councilwoman Dionne Faulk choked back tears as she made her council remarks and closed them in the memory of Bostic.
“Your family is in our prayers,” Faulk said.
Bostic’s body has been released to the family and will undergo a secondary autopsy to confirm his cause of death.
Mayor Butts has pledged to have body cameras for Inglewood police officers by the end of the year.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
