Rodney King the focal point of the 1992 LA Riots Dies at 47

[MTARegional Bus 247]

"Rodney King, the man whose videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers in 1991 sparked some of the deadliest race riots in U.S. history, was found dead on Sunday, Reuters reported. He was 47.

King was found dead in a pool and there were no signs of foul play, Reuters reported, citing California police.

King was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers on March 3, 1991. A bystander videotaped much of the incident from a distance.

 

Twenty years after Los Angeles police officers were acquitted of charges they brutally beat motorist Rodney King, TODAY's Lester Holt looks back at the case and how it changed the Los Angeles police department and how Americans view the justice system.

Violence broke out after a California jury acquitted three white and one Hispanic Los Angeles police officers in his beating.

The riots that erupted on April 29, 1992, were among the most lethal in U.S. history. By the time order was restored, 53 people had died, nearly 3,000 people were injured and thousands of businesses were damaged or destroyed.

Nearly a year later, a federal jury convicted two of the police officers of a federal charge of violating King’s civil rights and sentenced them to 30 months in prison. Two other officers were acquitted. King eventually received a $3.8 million settlement from the city, and the case led to sweeping changes in LAPD.

King had recently been promoting his just-published memoir, "The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption."

 

 

http://usnews.msnbc....dead-at-47?lite

 

 

Well at least we won't have to hear him about getting arrested again.

Edited June 17, 2012 by Shortline Bus

[Shortline Bus 1,121]

Wow. And we just a few weeks marked the 20th year of that infamous event.

[MHV9218 5,208]

Bizarre to see him go this young, wonder if we'll find out what really caused him to go eventually.

Edited June 17, 2012 by MHV9218

[INDman 412]

Who cares.....

[Joe 781]

Addiction kills.

[Shortline Bus 1,121]

Who cares.....

 

 

IND man not exactly a nice thing to say. Yes I agree he a carrer criminal with lifelong drinking and drug issues that far from a role model. However he is a historical figure in US History that forever changed the isssue of police bruality. Not to mention the issue of community realtions between People of Color and police departments nationwide. Not to mention 1-2 of the cops on that infamous night in 1991 that was videotaped to the world using excessive force.

[INDman 412]

IND man not exactly a nice thing to say. Yes I agree he a carrer criminal with lifelong drinking and drug issues that far from a role model. However he is a historical figure in US History that forever changed the isssue of police bruality. Not to mention the issue of community realtions between People of Color and police departments nationwide. Not to mention 1-2 of the cops on that infamous night in 1991 that was videotaped to the world using excessive force.

 

Again, who cares. He was a drunk and a criminal who should not have gotten any settelment from the LAPD. He's just another dead perp.

 

Addiction kills.

 

 

Maybe he should have spent some of his settlement money on swimming lessons...

[MHV9218 5,208]

Again, who cares. He was a drunk and a criminal who should not have gotten any settelment from the LAPD. He's just another dead perp.

 

 

This is what's wrong with America. We get pro-authority idiots like you who can watch the blue-uniform brown-shirt pigs commit horrible acts of violence and then go on without a care. I'm not saying he didn't make a mistake, I'm not saying that -- I'm saying that he made a mistake and came out and didn't try to resist and was beaten to the edge of his life. Blatant, shameless police brutality. The pigs were out in force and America should never forgive the cops who committed those acts of violence to a fellow human being whose worst offense was reckless driving. And no settlement? Really? Next time I'll send some racists to beat you with a club 50 times over a non-lethal offense and you tell me if you deserved that.

 

And then you sit here, basement computer warrior INDman, making bold claims about about a dead man and writing him off as a dead perp. I don't even have words for the ignorance and hatefulness in that statement. Just the fact that he has hasn't been that perp in 20 years is enough. 20 years from the incident and when the man tragically dies, you remember him as a criminal. Man, I really hope you pull some dumb sh!t someday, and I really hope we all look back on you decades later as a "dead perp." Disgusting.

Edited June 17, 2012 by MHV9218

[DJ MC 1,207]

Damn! Didn't see this coming. I'm not sure if his drinking problems had anything to do with his death, but I will wait and see for any updates.

Edited June 17, 2012 by MC CJ

[Shortline Bus 1,121]

This is what's wrong with America. We get pro-authority idiots like you who can watch the blue-uniform brown-shirt pigs commit horrible acts of violence and then go on without a care. I'm not saying he didn't make a mistake, I'm not saying that -- I'm saying that he made a mistake and came out and didn't try to resist and was beaten to the edge of his life. Blatant, shameless police brutality. The pigs were out in force and America should never forgive the cops who committed those acts of violence to a fellow human being whose worst offense was reckless driving. And no settlement? Really? Next time I'll send some racists to beat you with a club 50 times over a non-lethal offense and you tell me if you deserved that.

 

And then you sit here, basement computer warrior INDman, making bold claims about about a dead man and writing him off as a dead perp. I don't even have words for the ignorance and hatefulness in that statement. Just the fact that he has hasn't been that perp in 20 years is enough. 20 years from the incident and when the man tragically dies, you remember him as a criminal. Man, I really hope you pull some dumb sh!t someday, and I really hope we all look back on you decades later as a "dead perp." Disgusting.

 

 

 

MHV lets be fair here. Rodney King was a guy who was not a role model. And 20 years ago, while the 1st jury in Simi Valley(a suburu of LA where many of those infamous cops live) blew the verdict, there was no reason for riots causing nearly 100 deaths and over $1 Billion in damage. And you know the majority of the rioters were people of color? Also what about the justice for White Motorist Mr. Denny who beaten by a mob live on national cable tv & still suffering from it? And Black/Latino/Asian owned business that never opened again while South Central LA is becoming gentified inlcuding very few Minority owned biz now in the area in 2012.

 

Await his replies?

[Joe 781]

Somehow, I very much doubt INDman would ever be on the receiving end of a tuneup.

[peacemak3r 1,351]

Who cares.....

 

 

...about you?

 

Anyway, even with his slight problems, 47, is still too young.

[MTARegional Bus 247]

This guy had drug addictions just like any other person nothing special. When people rioted that day it wasn't about color anymore it was about were can I get a TV or stereo system for free. True people were angry about the verdict but they didn't need to act like a bunch of barbarians and destroy every single business and wasn't there fault.

[RTS CNG Command 301]

Who cares.....

 

If you didn't care, you wouldn't post in here.

 

Rodney King was at the epicenter of the riots because the officers who arrested him and beat him with excessive force were on trial and were acquitted. During the trial, racial tensions were really volatile. When the officers were acquitted, the community blew up and Los Angeles went down the highway to hell! Over 2,700 people were hurt and over fifty deaths. Even King commented, "People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?"

 

Was King a role model? No, he wasn't. He battled his own demons throughout his life, notably his alcoholism. Many of us know this, even those from the black community. But to denounce him as "another dead perp" is just DAFT, and I say this as a WHITE guy. He was severely injured in clear police brutality, hence the LAPD settlement; if anything, they should've given him more money because of how expensive hospital care was even back then. Like it or not, he IS a historical figure. One battling demons, but a historical figure nonetheless.

[Shortline Bus 1,121]

If you didn't care, you wouldn't post in here.

 

Rodney King was at the epicenter of the riots because the officers who arrested him and beat him with excessive force were on trial and were acquitted. During the trial, racial tensions were really volatile. When the officers were acquitted, the community blew up and Los Angeles went down the highway to hell! Over 2,700 people were hurt and over fifty deaths. Even King commented, "People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?"

 

Was King a role model? No, he wasn't. He battled his own demons throughout his life, notably his alcoholism. Many of us know this, even those from the black community. But to denounce him as "another dead perp" is just DAFT, and I say this as a WHITE guy. He was severely injured in clear police brutality, hence the LAPD settlement; if anything, they should've given him more money because of how expensive hospital care was even back then. Like it or not, he IS a historical figure. One battling demons, but a historical figure nonetheless.

 

 

 

Bravo and well said RTS.

[MHV9218 5,208]

MHV lets be fair here. Rodney King was a guy who was not a role model. And 20 years ago, while the 1st jury in Simi Valley(a suburu of LA where many of those infamous cops live) blew the verdict, there was no reason for riots causing nearly 100 deaths and over $1 Billion in damage. And you know the majority of the rioters were people of color? Also what about the justice for White Motorist Mr. Denny who beaten by a mob live on national cable tv & still suffering from it? And Black/Latino/Asian owned business that never opened again while South Central LA is becoming gentified inlcuding very few Minority owned biz now in the area in 2012.

 

Await his replies?

 

 

You're right, he wasn't a role model. And that's what I was saying, I don't condone his original crime or respect that he did it. But I don't think he was too proud of it as he said in later years. I agree with you with you about the riots too; nobody's defending those. People acted like animals and it was some disgusting stuff. Thing is, it all wouldn't have happened without the individual case that was Rodney King and so to look back on Mr. King as just a perp like the rioters is outrageous. The riots were horrible -- and so was the racism towards Rodney King. But they're not one and alike, and to just call Rodney (@INDman) a dead perp like he was for the riots is ignorant and disgusting.

[SoSpectacular 569]

I'm still against what those cops did, I don't condone police brutality.

[Shortline Bus 1,121]

I'm still against what those cops did, I don't condone police brutality.

 

 

And what about Rodney King being a career criminal? Or the rioters being mostly Black/Hispanic? Where you even born in 1992 So Spectacular.

PS IMO I still stand by and agree with the jurors in the 1993 verdict. That verdict stated 2 of the officers went to jail was correct. If you like at the videotape and not the brief 20 seconds the world saw, only 2 of the officers should be sent away for a long time. King was "high" at time of incident. Playing devil advocate and my views.

[SoSpectacular 569]

And what about Rodney King being a carrer criminal? Or the rioter being mostly Black/Hispanic? Where you even born in 1992 So Spectacular.

PS IMO I stil stand the 1993 verdict in which 2 of the officers went to jail was correct. If you like at the videotape and not the brief 20 seconds the world saw, only 2 of the officers should be sent away for a long time. King was "high" at time of incident. Playing devil advocate and my views.

 

 

I was born in 1990, I was alive and well when this happened. Still no need to senselessly beat on someone when simple restraint or pepper spray could help. I've seen the video. Enough said...

[MTARegional Bus 247]

Sometime you can not trust your own community. people see a violent crime and won't say anything in fear of retaliation or don't want to call the cops because of fear of retaliation, if people don't want police brutality then they have to stop with the hole Stop Snitchin mentally, if you see something say something. Same goes for the media the blow thing out of proportion.Same goes for cops acting like jerks to blacks and Hispanics,don't let power go to your head, and blacks and Hispanics acting like crazy people in front of cops, they think there above the law.

Edited June 18, 2012 by MTARegional Bus

[Joel Up Front 792]

Who cares.....

 

 

You are THIS mad...

[mass production 19]

R.I.P.

 

[Roadcruiser1 284]

Yeah. News sources say he was using drugs and alcohol at the time around his death. He was an addict. I am actually not shocked. What do you think drugs and alcohol does to you in the end? It might make you high, it might make you happy, but it takes you to the grave.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Roadcruiser1

[Shortline Bus 1,121]

Yeah. News sources say he was using drugs and alcohol at the time around his death. He was an addict. I am actually not shocked. What do you think drugs and alcohol does to you in the end? It might make you high, it might make you happy, but it takes you to the grave.

 

 

Road I have to agree and also suspect he od' himself to death. He was in a swimming pool and he dies in it? Very fishy. With that said, lets wait for the final autopsy report.

[INDman 412]

 

 

You are THIS mad...

 

Why would I be mad, I have more important things to worry about durning my day like getting to work on time. Something I don't think many here have to worry about.