16th Anniversary of the Rodney King Beating

Rodney King


Rodney Glen King (born April 2, 1965 in Sacramento, California) is a U.S. citizen and taxi driver who became famous after his violent arrest by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was videotaped by a bystander, George Holliday.

The incident raised a public outcry among people who believed it was racially motivated. In an environment of growing tension between the black community and the LAPD as well as increasing anger over police brutality and more general issues of unemployment, racial tension, and poverty facing the black community in South Central Los Angeles the 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.
Confrontation

On the day of March 3, 1991, California Highway Patrol officers saw King speeding on Interstate 210 and reportedly chased him for 8 miles (13 km) at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), though it was later pointed out by the manufacturer of King's Hyundai that the car was incapable of going over 95 miles per hour (150 km/h) even at its peak performance. When he stopped in Lake View Terrace, he did not obey repeated commands to exit the car or lie down and as can allegedly be seen in the first few seconds of the video, charged one of the officers, after which the police struck King with a PR24 baton that put him on the ground. King's black male passengers were taken into custody without incident and later released without charges.

Initially, a female highway patrol officer, Melanie Singer, approached King and drew her pistol. Officer Singer reported that King then turned around and shook his buttocks at her and did not comply with her commands. King also reportedly waved at the police helicopter that had him under spotlight. When the local police arrived, Sergeant Stacey Koon requested that Singer stand down and that weapons not be pointed at King. Force level was then escalated to verbal commands, to force King to comply but he refused[citation needed]. Koon then ordered four officers to "swarmed"[5] King, to force him into the felony prone position, but it was alleged that King threw all four of them off. Officer Koon fired a Taser on King twice, but King continued his attempts to get up. King was repeatedly told to put his hands behind his back and assume the felony prone position, but still refused to comply. At that point, rather than issue an order for the use of lethal force (choke hold or a gun shot), Sergeant Stacey Koon commanded the officers to use their PR24 batons to strike King. Only after doing so was LAPD able to apprehend King. While most police departments teach officers how to perform armlocks and other restraint techniques with their batons, the LAPD officers had only been trained in striking techniques.[1]

At trial, the defense for the policemen 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.[2] The video also shows the officers repeatedly striking King while giving him verbal commands. However, the videotape shows King repeatedly trying to get up, despite the officers' verbal commands for King to assume the felony prone position. The officers later argued that they were responding to King's failure to comply with their commands, and that their actions were in compliance with standard police procedure.

Rodney King was charged with felony evasion the night of the incident, but this charge was later dropped.

Indictment and prosecution of arresting officers

Four 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 white, 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 defendants could not receive a fair trial, to suburban Simi Valley, in Ventura County, whose population is more affluent, contains a much smaller proportion of blacks, and contains a disproportionately large number of law-enforcement officers.

Verdict, LA riots, and aftermath

Main Article: 1992 Los Angeles Riots

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. The verdict triggered massive rioting in Los Angeles, which lasted for 4 days, making it one of the worst civil disturbances in Los Angeles history. By the time the police, Marine Corps and National Guard restored order, there was nearly $1 billion in damage, with "55 deaths; 2,383 injuries; more than 7000 fire responses; 3,100 businesses damaged." (Smith, Anna Deavere) Smaller riots occurred in other U.S. cities. On May 1, 1992, the third day of the Los Angeles riots, King appeared in public before television news cameras to appeal for calm and plead for peace, asking, "People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?"[3]

After the riots, federal charges of civil rights violations were brought against the officers. Two officers, Officer Laurence Powell and Sergeant Stacey Koon, were found guilty and another two acquitted.

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 future abuses. Counter-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. Black community and civil rights leaders have repeatedly used the Rodney King incident in analogy along with other incidents of police violence against black suspects.