INGLEWOOD – Bryan Bostic plead for his life during an alleged routine traffic stop in Inglewood on Mar. 10.
The explosive claims were made by a lawyer representing Bostic’s family in a press conference held outside of Inglewood City Hall on April 6.
Inglewood Mayor James Butts and the City’s police chief Mark Fronterotta have not provided either the family or the public a reason for why Bostic was pulled over in the 400 block of E. Hillcrest Blvd. at 9:30 p.m. Moreover, Bostic was pronounced deceased by Inglewood officers at 10:15 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office.
The family has obtained audio from the encounter that was obtained from witnesses at the traffic stop which reveals a struggle and Mr. Bostic screaming in pain and begging to be let go.
“Because of good Samaritans we ourselves have been able to put the pieces together,” said the family’s attorney.
A secondary autopsy is being conducted by the Know Your Rights Camp founded by former NFL star Colin Kaepernick.
Questions continue to go unanswered due to the lack of body cameras being provided to sworn officers in the Inglewood Police Department.
When Mayor Butts attempted to reassure the family that Bostic “was alive in back of the police car before they got to the police station,” his aunt Marie Darden was direct in her response: “I told him, ‘Crap. That’s bull crap. It should be body cams. How could you assure me that if you weren’t there at the crime?’”
Butts has rejected any suggestion of misconduct, saying “that’s absolutely untrue as it relates to the Inglewood Police Department.”
Sen. Laura Richardson has come out in support of Inglewood police officers wearing body cameras after a man died in their custody last month.
“Yes, I support all law enforcement wearing body cameras to document individual and law enforcement engagement and interactions, in order to accurately capture the activity without risk of conjecture, subjective opinions, and lapses of memory for all parties involved,” said Sen. Richardson.
Activist Najee Ali is standing alongside Bostic’s family in demanding officers be outfitted with body cameras. These cameras would have caught the entirety of the traffic stop and Bostic’s arrival at the police department.
“Inglewood is not safe until all of its officers have body cameras,” said Ali.
Activists have staged demonstrations weekly in Inglewood including the front entrance of the Intuit Dome. They are demanding Inglewood officers be outfitted with cameras and that the City’s police oversight commission resume meeting after it was disbanded in 2016 following the shooting deaths of Kisha Michael and Marquintin Sandlin.