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RIP Rodney King
Rodney King, whose beating by Los Angeles police in 1991 was caught on camera and sparked riots after the acquittal of the four officers involved, was found dead in his swimming pool Sunday, authorities and his fiancee confirmed. He was 47.
King's beating after a high-speed car chase and its aftermath forever changed Los Angeles, its police department and the dialogue on race in America.
King was 25 and on parole after a robbery conviction in April 1991. In an interview in 2011, he recalled he had been drinking and was headed home from a friend's house when he saw a police car following him and panicked, thinking he would be sent back to prison. So he attempted to flee.
"I had a job to go to that Monday, and I knew I was on parole, and I knew I wasn't supposed to be drinking, and I'm like 'Oh, my God,'" he told CNN.
Related: Rodney King looks back without anger
He realized he couldn't outrun the police, but looked for a public place to stop. "I saw all those apartments over there, so I said, 'I'm gonna stop right there,'" he said. "'If it goes down, somebody will see it.'"
An amateur cameraman caught the scene as four white police officers struck King more than 50 times with their wooden batons and used a stun gun on him.
King said as the officers beat him, they yelled, "We are going to kill you, n***er," although the officers denied using racial slurs.
The video shows King cowering on the ground and attempting to crawl away as he is surrounded by a crowd of police officers. Four of them used their nightsticks to strike him.
King was beaten nearly to death. Three surgeons operated on him for five hours.
The video of the beating appeared on national television two days later, focusing attention on the issue of racially-motivated police brutality.
"We finally caught the Loch Ness Monster with a camcorder," King attorney Milton Grimes said.
Four LAPD officers -- Theodore Briseno, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind and Sgt. Stacey Koon -- were indicted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and excessive use of force by a police officer.
But following a three-month trial in the predominantly white Los Angeles suburb of Simi Valley, three of the officers were acquitted of all charges. The jury, which had no white members, deadlocked on one charge of excessive force against Powell, and a mistrial was declared on that charge.
Powell's attorney, Michael Stone, said earlier this year the unedited video worked against King and helped prove the officers' case.
"Most of the nation only saw a few snippets where it's the most violent," Stone said. "They didn't see (King) get up and run at Powell."
But African-Americans in Los Angeles exploded in outrage. Rioters ran through the streets -- looting businesses, torching buildings and attacking those who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The violence was responsible for more than 50 deaths and $1 billion in property damage.
On the third day of rioting, King emerged from seclusion to make a plea: "People, I just want to say, can we all get along? Can we get along?"
King's beating after a high-speed car chase and its aftermath forever changed Los Angeles, its police department and the dialogue on race in America.
King was 25 and on parole after a robbery conviction in April 1991. In an interview in 2011, he recalled he had been drinking and was headed home from a friend's house when he saw a police car following him and panicked, thinking he would be sent back to prison. So he attempted to flee.
"I had a job to go to that Monday, and I knew I was on parole, and I knew I wasn't supposed to be drinking, and I'm like 'Oh, my God,'" he told CNN.
Related: Rodney King looks back without anger
He realized he couldn't outrun the police, but looked for a public place to stop. "I saw all those apartments over there, so I said, 'I'm gonna stop right there,'" he said. "'If it goes down, somebody will see it.'"
An amateur cameraman caught the scene as four white police officers struck King more than 50 times with their wooden batons and used a stun gun on him.
King said as the officers beat him, they yelled, "We are going to kill you, n***er," although the officers denied using racial slurs.
The video shows King cowering on the ground and attempting to crawl away as he is surrounded by a crowd of police officers. Four of them used their nightsticks to strike him.
King was beaten nearly to death. Three surgeons operated on him for five hours.
The video of the beating appeared on national television two days later, focusing attention on the issue of racially-motivated police brutality.
"We finally caught the Loch Ness Monster with a camcorder," King attorney Milton Grimes said.
Four LAPD officers -- Theodore Briseno, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind and Sgt. Stacey Koon -- were indicted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and excessive use of force by a police officer.
But following a three-month trial in the predominantly white Los Angeles suburb of Simi Valley, three of the officers were acquitted of all charges. The jury, which had no white members, deadlocked on one charge of excessive force against Powell, and a mistrial was declared on that charge.
Powell's attorney, Michael Stone, said earlier this year the unedited video worked against King and helped prove the officers' case.
"Most of the nation only saw a few snippets where it's the most violent," Stone said. "They didn't see (King) get up and run at Powell."
But African-Americans in Los Angeles exploded in outrage. Rioters ran through the streets -- looting businesses, torching buildings and attacking those who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The violence was responsible for more than 50 deaths and $1 billion in property damage.
On the third day of rioting, King emerged from seclusion to make a plea: "People, I just want to say, can we all get along? Can we get along?"
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Baller Alert on -
RIP..
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Permalink Reply by OLD $PICE PINE NEEDLE on -
RIP
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Permalink Reply by Savoir Faire on -
So young. My heart goes out to his family.
SN: did you guys hear about author Erica Kennedy? She was so young too.
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Permalink Reply by Brii on -
No! How did she pass? I loved her book Bling
Savoir Faire said:So young. My heart goes out to his family.
SN: did you guys hear about author Erica Kennedy? She was so young too.
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Permalink Reply by Quiet Storm on -
This is so sad! May he rest in peace.
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Permalink Reply by Brii on
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Two close friends of Rodney King think his fiancée isn't telling the truth about what happened leading up to his death ... and they've voiced their suspicions to cops, TMZ has learned. As TMZ first reported, King's fiancee, Cynthia Kelley, says she was awakened by the sound of King banging on the window of their home just after 5:00 AM on Sunday ... and then heard him fall in the pool. But sources close to King tell TMZ they heard Kelley tell the story several times to friends ... only the story changed a little bit each time and it seemed to them that she was lying about something. We're told two of Kelley's friends who spoke with her in the hours following King's death have gone to police and spoke to a detective. Our source says the detective took down their story and their information and said he would be in touch. Rialto PD say so far they have discovered no signs of foul play, but they are conducting a drowning investigation and will perform an autopsy at some point.
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Permalink Reply by CCD is Workin on a baller 4 she on -
RIP
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Permalink Reply by Savoir Faire on
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I think it said the family was not disclosing the details.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/19/books/erica-kennedy-music-writer-...
Savoir Faire said:So young. My heart goes out to his family.
SN: did you guys hear about author Erica Kennedy? She was so young too.
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Permalink Reply by PeachSoda_ on -
Awww... sad to hear.
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Permalink Reply by Brii on
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http://m.tmz.com/article_head.ftl?id=http://www.tmz.com/2012/06/25/...
Rodney King was not a wealthy man when he died ... and now his family is asking the public for donations so they can pay for a proper burial for the infamous LAPD beating victim.Despite the fact King scored a $3.8 million settlement from the City of L.A. after the 1992 incident, King's family tells TMZ ... there is basically no money left over to pay for his funeral costs, which are expected to run north of $22k. The family has now issued a statement, through their rep, Kali Bowyer, asking people to contribute to a memorial fund established "for those who wish to contribute to the King family."King's 3 adult daughters, along with other family members, are desperately trying to come up with the cash ... but Bowyer tells us, "They need the money."King is scheduled to be laid to rest on June 30. As far as the mystery surrounding Rodney's death, the family says, "[We are] looking forward to a swift investigation into the death of our father, as well as we put our faith in the authorities responsible for handling the matter."
Where exactly do you donate the $$ at?
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