Los Angeles Riots of 1992

Beating of Rodney King

March 3, 1991 The beating of Rodney King took place Following a high speed traffic stop by LAPD All caught on tape by amateur cameraman George Holliday Officers arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and excessive force Later officers were found not guilty by a mostly white jury which later caused the riots

Violence first started at a major intersection in South-Central Los Angeles. Traffic was blocked, and rioters beat dozens of motorists, including Reginald Denny, a white truck driver who was dragged out of his truck and nearly beaten to death by three African-American men. A news helicopter, hovering over the street, recorded the gruesome event.

Beating of Reginald Denny

California Governor Pete Wilson called in the National Guard at the request of Mayor Tom Bradley, and a curfew was declared. By the morning, hundreds of fires were burning across the city, more than a dozen people had been killed, and hundreds were injured. Rioting and violence continued during the next 24 hours, and Korean shop owners in African-American neighborhoods defended their businesses with rifles.

More Facts On May 1, President George Bush ordered military troops and riot-trained federal officers to Los Angeles The three days of disorder killed 55 people, injured almost 2,000, led to 7,000 arrests, and caused nearly 1 BILLION dollars in property damage, including the burnings of nearly 4,000 buildings.

April 16, 1993 LAPD officers convicted The federal jury convicts Koon and Powell on one charge of violating King's civil rights. Wind and Briseno are found not guilty. No disturbances follow the verdict.

April 19, 1994 The U.S. District Court in Los Angeles awards King $3.8 million in damages in a civil lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles. King had demanded $56 million, or $1 million for every blow struck by the officers.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/riots-erupt-in-los-angeles http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/us/los-angeles-riots-fast-facts/ http://latimesphoto.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/0430-riots04.jpg http://www.mtvhive.com/2012/04/25/rap-los-angeles-riots/