Rodney King, L.A. police 1990s beating victim, dies

[Asrokhel]

Just found this out:

Rodney King, whose videotaped beating by police led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, has died, California police said Sunday. He was 47.

Police told the Cable News Network that King's fianc?e found him dead at the bottom of a swimming pool in Rialto, east of Los Angeles.

Police responded to a call around sunrise on Sunday, CNN reported.

The Los Angeles riots erupted on April 29, 1992 when a mostly white jury acquitted three of the four officers accused of beating and kicking King and failed to convict the fourth.

A bystander with a video camera recorded the beating after King, a black motorist, was pulled over by the officers on March 3, 1991.

More than 50 people were killed during the riots that followed the verdicts and King became a symbol of police brutality and racial tension in the city. Looting, vandalism and arson left an estimated $1 billion in damage.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/06/17/rodney-king-obit.html

Edited June 17, 2012 by Asrokhel

[tiagosilva29]

Killed by The Man.

[Anibal P]

Yep, still can't give a **** about this drug addicted criminal

[Miuku.]

Yep, still can't give a **** about this drug addicted criminal

You're such an wonderful human being.

The guy died, at least feel a little sympathy - he was hardly a murderer.

[Nightwind Hawk]

Yep, still can't give a **** about this drug addicted criminal

Perhaps at the time, but in all the interview's since he doesn't strike me as a drug addicted criminal.

What happened with this guy changed the country, and whether anybody likes him or not, his existence really should be respected.

[qdave]

Does not seem very newsworthy to me.

[Asrokhel]

It's too bad I can't go and edit my original post again, here is a more in depth article done at the original link:

Rodney King, symbol of 1992 L.A. riots, dies

Rodney King, whose videotaped beating by police led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, has died, California police said Sunday. He was 47.

King's fianc?e called 911 at 5:25 a.m. local time to report she found him at the bottom of the swimming pool at their home in Rialto, Calif., said police Lt. Dean Hardin.

Officers arrived to find King unresponsive in the water, Hardin said. He was transported to Arrowhead Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:11 a.m.

There were no signs of foul play, Hardin said. The San Bernardino County coroner will perform an autopsy within 48 hours.

The Los Angeles riots erupted on April 29, 1992 when a mostly white jury acquitted three of the four officers accused of beating and kicking King and failed to convict the fourth.

A bystander with a video camera recorded the beating after King, a black motorist, was pulled over by the officers on March 3, 1991.

During the riots, there was another shocking scene, this time involving a white motorist. Reginal Denny was dragged from his truck and nearly murdered on live television. He was rescued by strangers and taken to hospital.

Fifty-five people were killed during the riots that followed the verdicts and King became a symbol of police brutality and racial tension in the city. Looting, vandalism and arson left an estimated $1 billion in damage.

At the time of the incident, the 25-year-old King was on parole after a robbery conviction. In a CNN interview in 2011, he recalled he had been drinking and was headed home when he saw a patrol car following him. He thought he would be sent back to prison, so he panicked after stopping the car.

Eventually, four LAPD officers ? Theodore Briseno, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind and Stacey Koon ? were indicted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and excessive use of force by a police officer.

After a three-month trial in 1992, three of the officers were acquitted of all charges. The jury, which had mostly white members, were deadlocked on one charge of excessive force against Powell, and a mistrial was declared on that charge.

'Can we all get along?'

The result triggered rioting in LA that lasted for three days, leaving more than 2,000 injured and swaths of the city on fire. At the height of the violence, King pleaded on television: "Can we all get along?"

A year later, the four officers stood trial in federal court on civil rights charges. Koon and Powell were found guilty and sentenced to 30 months in prison, while Briseno and Wind were acquitted.

King also sued the city for damages and got $3.8 million US.

In 2008, he released a memoir, The Riot Within, chronicling his difficult upbringing and his reflections on the beating. In several interviews, King said he had forgiven the officers.

In an interview with The Associated Press this year, King was in relatively good spirits: "America's been good to me after I paid the price and stayed alive through it all. This part of my life is the easy part now."

[sava700]

I bet someone got him on tape in the pool!

[Pam14160]

Sorry to hear, but still really could care less. People die every day, and guess what it is another day.

[123456789A]

Does not seem very newsworthy to me.

He invented Youtube.

[Doli]

It funny how people take the time to click a link and post that they dont care in one topic but ignore the other topics they dont care about. Why not post that you dont care in the other forum posts? Im looking at " Can anyone recommend parental control software (anti-porn)?" why not post that you dont care there?

[User6060]

even if he was a piece of **** you don't get a free pass to kick his ass if you're the police (theres something wrong if you want to be judge jury and executioner). i think people like to forget that.

his situation changed america and LA considerably so this is news

[BGM]

Sorry to hear, but still really could care less. People die every day, and guess what it is another day.

could care less? so you care a little bit.. good stuff, glad to know someone is sympathetic

it's not the fact that "people die every day", it's the fact that this particular person was involved in one of the most pivotal events with regards to 'race issues' in the USA of the 90s

it is just the same as when, at the end of the main news headlines, they say "jo bloggs died today.. he was best well know for inventing the <device>" nothing more, nothing less... but still important

grow up.

[x-scratch]

Sorry to hear, but still really could care less. People die every day, and guess what it is another day.

same goes to you then

[sanctified Veteran]

Yep, still can't give a **** about this drug addicted criminal

Let me guess, you're white, under 24, and live in either south US or the east coast. Am I right?

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

This is news Why? Millions die every day that led a better life on this planet.

[BGM]

This is news Why? Millions die every day that led a better life on this planet.

Because he is/was in the public eye, and when you die you get a little mention.

As has already been previously stated.

[blade1269]

Perhaps at the time, but in all the interview's since he doesn't strike me as a drug addicted criminal.

What happened with this guy changed the country, and whether anybody likes him or not, his existence really should be respected.

RIP...

But

Yeah gave people a reason to let people riot and get free stuff. You never hear anything about that truck driver that got beat ( by 6 black guys) and almost died.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Because he is/was in the public eye, and when you die you get a little mention.

As has already been previously stated.

A guy was killed by the police the other day for eating someone's face off. Where is his glory Day?

[BGM]

A guy was killed by the police the other day for eating someone's face off. Where is his glory Day?

I think if you don't know his name, he's not well known enough for a mention :)

[dr_crabman]

You never hear anything about that truck driver that got beat ( by 6 black guys) and almost died.

Here you go: http://www.time.com/...1614511,00.html "Denny largely avoids the media and rarely speaks about his ordeal."

[Anibal P]

Let me guess, you're white, under 24, and live in either south US or the east coast. Am I right?

SOOOO wrong it's not even funny

40yo Puerto Rican

As for King, after gaining popularity all he did was get arrested a few more times and do jail time for drugs, the same thing that got him in the news to start with, he blew THE chance of a lifetime to waste away doing drugs, will not be surprised at all when the autopsy results come back and say he was high as a kite, again, when he died

[nominak]

Yeah gave people a reason to let people riot and get free stuff.

That wasn't his intention. But i'm sure you know that. I think. Hope.

[sanctified Veteran]

SOOOO wrong it's not even funny

40yo Puerto Rican

On further inspection: Location: Waterbury CT

[NoLiMiT06]

And since no one has really seemed to point this out just like the stupid Zimmerman case, what if it was a white guy beaten by black cops and the jury was mostly black? What then? Would it have even made the news back then? Did what happen warrant a full on riot in LA?

You never hear anything about that truck driver that got beat ( by 6 black guys) and almost died.

True, and I have seen that video several times... Just goes to show how screwed up and ignorant the majority of this country is.