Brian Statler’s sister reveals new details in shooting death at Scientology org

Yesterday, Brian Statler’s sister Krystle Statler posted a petition online demanding that the Inglewood Police Department finally begin sharing information about what happened when police officers shot and killed her brother in 2019.

We’re not sure what the odds are that the Inglewood agency, which has been so obstructionist to this point, will be moved by an online petition, but we did find the message that Krystle attached to it to be very interesting. She reveals several new details we didn’t know before, including the names of the two Inglewood PD officers who confronted Brian, and she appears to confirm that they injured each other in crossfire.

She also makes reference to the family’s attorney, who is representing three people in a lawsuit against the city: Brian’s parents, Missouri resident Brian Statler Sr. and Pennsylvania resident Stacey Meadors, and his unnamed 3-year-old daughter, who is represented in the lawsuit by her mother, Decery Capponi. Capponi, we learned, is a Scientologist who had worked at the Inglewood org where Brian showed up driving a white Bentley with dealer plates and reportedly wielding a “samurai sword.”

According to the lawsuit docket, the most recent thing that happened was that it was referred to private mediation on July 1, and the court asked for it to be concluded by September 7.

Here’s Krystle’s entire message in full, and we’ve highlighted new information…

My brother, Brian Leslie Statler, Jr. (BJ), a 30-year-old black male was killed by the Inglewood Police Department on March 27, 2019 at the Inglewood Church of Scientology by a gunshot wound of the head. It’s been over 15 months and nothing has been done, no information has been shared with his family except for the bare minimum and the only thing we know for sure is that he’s dead.

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What are we asking for?

I. Transparency and cooperation from the Inglewood Police Department with information and reports about what happened to BJ.

II. Accountability for officers responsible for murdering BJ; they violated his Civil Rights by unreasonably assessing the situation, violently confronting him without probable cause and killed him without provocation.

III. Immediate action, resources and time invested from Mayor James Butts office into BJ’s homicide case.

IV. Policy reform for the Inglewood Police Department through de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention tactics and alternative actions to force. Deadly force should never be an option.

Why is this important?
On March 27, 2019, Inglewood Officers Julian Baksh and Jonathan Rivers responded to a call at the Inglewood Church of Scientology in Inglewood, CA. During the interaction with my brother, Brian Leslie Statler, Jr. (BJ), they killed him with a single gunshot wound to the head. He died before making it to the hospital. An investigation had been declared since both officers sustained non-fatal gunshot wounds that they incidentally gave to each other.

My family was not notified of his death by the Inglewood Police Department (IPD) and it took incessant calling to the LA Coroner’s Office to confirm his body was there, three days after the police took his life.

I was interviewed by Detectives Michael Han and Cesar Jurado, who asked any question they could to villainize BJ, to justify their colleagues killing him and to close out their investigation.

It’s been over a year and a half that the investigation has been going on and we have no reason to believe the officers have been fired, suspended or held accountable. It’s not a stretch to believe, since they killed once, they will do it again. These officers are not fit to serve the community and need to be removed. Additionally, the Inglewood Police Department needs to implement training and execution of de-escalation policies because deadly force should never be an option!

According to The Washington Post Fatal Force report, BJ was the only man shot and killed by the IPD in 2019 and they’ve neglectfully handled his case. In their continuing to allege its ongoing investigation, our attorney has not had access to any of the reports of BJ’s death, his personal belongings or any information that would bring understanding to what happened that fateful day. They possess custody of and control all of it and have not made any effort to share it with us.

Our attorney has confirmed that a trial date has been set. It’ll be nearly 3 years after his murder before we have the opportunity to hold these officers and the Inglewood Police Department accountable. The trial date is set for November 9, 2021.

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His family deserves to know what happened. He should be alive and we demand justice!

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What are we asking for?

I. The Inglewood Police Department’s negligence to transparency and lack of cooperation needs to be held accountable. We believe they’ve conspired to justify and cover up their misconduct by preparing and filing false reports of the shooting.

II. Officers Baksh and Rivers need to be held accountable for their actions to the fullest extent of the law. Their conduct was willful, malicious, and done with a reckless regard for the rights and safety of BJ. Their gross mishandling of the situation is evident by the fact that they shot each other in addition to killing BJ. Murder is still a crime no matter who committed it.

III. Mayor James Butts should devote considerable resources and time to the shooting. BJ was killed on his watch and by his officers. We ask of him, why isn’t BJ’s case a larger priority? Doesn’t yet another black man being killed by the police warrant your time and attention? In fact, the Coroner ruled it a Homicide. Does that not warrant expedient action?

IV. The Inglewood Police Department has provided inadequate training in the use of deadly force and policy reform needs immediate attention to implement de-escalation policies to ensure another family is not broken apart by their misconduct.

We also heard from Krystle directly yesterday, who apologized for not getting back to us earlier when we first tried to contact her soon after the shooting — but we told her that was certainly understandable.

The Bunker: Can you tell us, was Decery at the org when Brian went there that day?

Krystle: Yes, to my understanding Decery was there, though she didn’t have any interaction with BJ upon his arrival. According to her, she was downstairs and never actually saw him. She told me she didn’t even know he was there or that he’d been shot and killed. She said after the incident, the police questioned her for four hours the following day and no one notified her.

The Bunker: Do you know why he went there that day? Was it to see her?

Krystle: I don’t have a concrete reason, no. I have beliefs that he went to see her as well as meet his daughter for the first time.

The Bunker: He had never met her? Wow. Do you know why he showed up in a white Bentley with dealer plates? Had he just bought it?

Krystle: No, I am not aware of that reason.

The Bunker: And do you know anything about him having a sword with him?

Krystle: From what I understand, he did not have the sword on him. I really don’t have a whole lot of information about what actually happened that day, which is why we’re petitioning them for information. They have not been transparent at all! We only found out the officers’ actual names on July 1.

The Bunker: Do you know how he and Decery met? Did he have any Scientology involvement himself?

Krystle: I’m not aware of how they met and as far as I know he was not involved in Scientology

The Bunker: We noticed that the lawsuit was sent to private mediation. How good are the chances of a settlement at this point, do you know?

Krystle: I don’t know unfortunately. As far as I know, my family wants to pursue trial.

The Bunker: In November 2021. Nothing like swift justice, is there?

Krystle: It’s awful! It’s very discouraging that that’s the soonest they will even spend energy on justice.

The Bunker: Was there anything else you wanted to add?

Krystle: I have two poems about Brian [“Control” and “Obituary”] that were put online if that’s helpful.

The Bunker: That is helpful, thank you.

 
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Jay Spina’s sentencing gets pushed back

Middletown, NY chiropractor and Scientology donor Jay Spina requested, and was granted, another month of freedom before he’s sentenced for Medicare fraud. He was scheduled to be sentenced today at the federal courthouse in White Plains, and we previously detailed why prosecutors were asking for the full 10 years in prison that his plea deal allowed for.

But citing the ongoing crisis of the coronavirus making in-person court appearances problematic, Spina asked, and the judge granted, another delay before the sentencing occurs. It’s now set for August 27 at 11 am.

 
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Bonus items from our tipsters

Here’s some pretty great drone piloting that gives us a sense of just how big the Dallas Ideal Org is as it sits empty during the pandemic…

 
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Source Code

“Let’s take the smaller goal of what to eat. The person will sit down and look at a menu. What he himself wants to eat is very definitely modified by engrams concerning food, what he should eat and so on. You will find people who would become very upset indeed if you mentioned pickles and ice cream to them. ‘You can’t eat pickles and ice cream. It will make you sick.’ Actually pickles and ice cream mix, but there is a social aberration to the effect that they don’t. So he gets into a state of confusion. He has the goal of wanting to eat pickles and ice cream, but the engram says, ‘No, pickles and ice cream will make you sick,’ so he goes down the line and sees sauerbraten. Sauerbraten is one of those foreign foods, according to the engram in the bank, and ‘You shouldn’t eat this fancy foreign food stuff.’ He can get very confused on this whole line. He is trying to make a minor decision and his mind will go around, and finally rather unhappily he will say, ‘Bring me ham and eggs.’ He doesn’t want ham and eggs, but the engrams don’t forbid ham and eggs so he has got a compromise solution.” — L. Ron Hubbard, July 6, 1950

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“You are still riding my coattails from last lifetime and that will never change.”

 
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Random Howdy

“I went ‘exterior’ after I’d been up for four days on meth. I’m sure that was a genuine paranormal experience.”

 
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker

Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay Spina, Medicare fraud: Sentencing is set for August 27 in White Plains, NY
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Trial set for October 7 in Los Angeles

Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments set for August 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: July 8 (plaintiff attorneys pro hac vice), August 31-Sept 1 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021

 
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!

We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.

Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!

Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!

Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!

Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?

 
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THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ policy plays out in unbelievable scenes in a Florida hospital
[TWO years ago] Scientology’s homophobia and its disconnection policy — still producing refugees today
[THREE years ago] Jon Atack: Scientology has a history of flip-floppers, including the founder’s son
[FOUR years ago] What happened when one of our readers got into a Scientology ‘Flag World Tour’ event
[FIVE years ago] Scientology’s trophy problem: Did David Miscavige lie, or did the IAS?
[SIX years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology finally starts making its members superheroes!
[SEVEN years ago] Best Account of Life in Scientology? Jon Atack Makes the Case for Counterfeit Dreams
[EIGHT years ago] SCIENTOLOGY CRUMBLING: An Entire Church Mission Defects as David Miscavige Faces Leadership Crisis
[NINE years ago] Out-of-Work Journalists: Want to do Scientology’s Dirty Work?

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 6, 2020 at 07:00

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