Rodney Glenn King (born April 2, 1965 in Sacramento, California) is an African-American who — while being videotaped by a bystander (George Holliday) — was continually struck with batons, and subsequently arrested by Los Angeles police officers (LAPD). This followed an 8 mile (13 km), high speed (110 mph / 180 km/h)[citation needed] freeway pursuit by police, after King refused to pull over on March 3, 1991, in the residential community of Lake View Terrace. He suffered eleven skull fractures, broken bones and teeth, kidney injuries, and permanent brain damage due to injuries suffered during his arrest. In a later interview, King, on parole from prison for a robbery conviction, said that he feared being arrested and returned to prison for a parole violation.
The incident raised a public outcry among people who believed it was racially motivated. In an environment of growing tension between the African American community and the LAPD as well as increasing anger over police brutality, unemployment, racial tension, and poverty facing the African American community in South Central Los Angeles; the subsequent acquittal in a state court of the four officers charged with using excessive force in subduing King provided the spark that led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Indictment and prosecution of arresting officers
Three officers and a sergeant were indicted on March 14 for "assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury" and with assault "under color of authority," and two were charged with filing false police reports. Three of the men charged were Caucasian, and one was Latino.
The defense successfully filed for a change of venue away from Los Angeles County, where the incident occurred and where, they argued, the defendents could not receive a fair trial, to suburban Simi Valley, in Ventura County, whose population is more affluent, contains a much smaller proportion of African-Americans, and contains a disproportionately large number of law-enforcement officers. However, the jurors themselves were drawn from the entirety of Ventura County, which is not an entirely white and conservative county and includes some blue collar and minority districts.
At trial, the defense argued that the officers had legitimate reason to believe King was extremely dangerous and possibly on a mind-affecting drug such as PCP and that the force used was justified by that threat. One piece of evidence offered to support this argument was that King showed no response after having been shot by at least one Taser weapon [1]. The Taser will immediately incapacitate most people. However, the videotape shows that King was putting up little or no resistance against the policemen and for most of the incident lay on the ground, shielding himself. The video shows the officers striking King, giving him verbal commands, and repeating this process. The officers later argued that this was done because King did not comply with their commands during the arrest, and that their actions were in compliance with standard police procedure.
The video footage, while showing most of the incident, is notably lacking in the first few minutes of the confrontation, during which King is alleged to have lunged for the weapon of one of the police officers present. On April 29, 1992, three of the officers were acquitted by a jury of ten whites, one Latino, and an Asian. The jury could not agree on a verdict for one of the counts on one of the Officers.
Rodney King was not prosecuted or fined for speeding or resisting arrest during this incident.
Verdict, LA riots, and aftermath
The verdict triggered massive rioting in Los Angeles, which lasted for 3 days, making it one of the worst civil disturbances in Los Angeles history. By the time the police and the National Guard restored order, there was nearly $1 billion in damage, with 40 people killed, over 2,000 injured, and more than 8,000 arrested. Smaller riots occurred in other U.S. cities. King made an appearance before television news cameras to plead for peace, saying, "Can we get along here? Can we all get along?" [1]
Since the 1991 incident, King has been arrested several times for drug infractions, spousal abuse, soliciting a prostitute and motoring offenses. He has also worked in construction and started the rap label "Straight AltaPazz". Although he received $3.8 million in a civil suit against the LAPD, he is reportedly bankrupt and living in a drug rehab center.
Analysis and cultural impact of the event
The video of the incident is an example of inverse surveillance (i.e. citizens watching police). As a result of the incident, several Copwatch organizations were formed nationwide to safeguard against such abuses in the future. Anti police-abuse organizations and justice committees for victims of police violence increased after 1992, and a national umbrella group known as the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality was established. African American community and civil rights leaders have repeatedly used the Rodney King incident in analogy along with other incidents of police violence against black suspects.
Trivia
- Footage of the Rodney King incident was used in the title credits of the movie Malcolm X (film).
References
- Koon, Stacy (1992). Presumed Guilty: The Tragedy of the Rodney King Affair. Regnery Publishing. ISBN 0-895-26507-9.