The family of Bryan Bostic, a 37-year-old Compton man who died March 10 after being taken into custody by Inglewood police, is demanding accountability, transparency and immediate reforms as questions surrounding his death continue to mount.
Joined by community leaders and now represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, the family is calling on Mayor James T. Butts Jr. and the Inglewood City Council to urgently approve body-worn cameras for all officers, while also urging California Attorney General Rob Bonta to launch an independent investigation, citing a lack of trust in the department’s ability to investigate itself.
Their demands come amid growing outrage over the silence of Inglewood Police Chief Mark Fronterotta, who has yet to issue a public statement, and what the family describes as limited and delayed information from city officials.
“We really need answers,” said Talia Castillo, Bostic’s cousin, who has been speaking on behalf of the family. “Inglewood PD hasn’t told us much of anything. All we know is that when my cousin left us, he was perfectly fine, and when he got into the Inglewood Police Department’s custody, they pronounced him dead. We didn’t find out until the next morning.”
“If anybody knows anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us,” Castillo added, as the family continues to call for witnesses and any available video footage.
According to the city, Bostic was stopped near Hillcrest Boulevard and Nutwood Street around 9:25 p.m., where officers reported a “brief struggle” after suspecting he was attempting to conceal something. He was later transported to the Inglewood Police Department jail, where he was found unconscious and not breathing. Paramedics were called both at the scene and at the station, and Bostic was pronounced dead at approximately 10:15 p.m.
While the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has opened an investigation into the department’s use of force, and an autopsy by the county medical examiner is pending, family members say they still have few answers about why Bostic was stopped, what occurred during the encounter, and how he died.
Demonstrators packed Inglewood City Hall this week following a tense council meeting, chanting Bostic’s name and demanding justice, while relatives described him as a devoted father whose young daughter now grows up without him. A GoFundMe account has been set up to raise money to support the daughter he leaves behind.
Meanwhile, Mayor Butts said the findings of ongoing investigations will determine the cause of death, adding that while the family’s grief is understandable, “there’s no evidence to show one way or another what the cause of death was.”