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The Spectacle Blog
Rodney King, who became known around the world after videotape of his beating at the hands of four LAPD officers in March 1991, was found dead yesterday at the bottom of his swimming pool at his home. Authorities are treating his death as an accident. He was 47.
I believe now, as I did then, that the acquittal of the four officers at trial in April 1992 was a miscarriage of justice. Of course, the riots which resulted were equally a miscarriage of justice resulting in the deaths of 53 people, over two thousand people injured including Reginald Denny whose beating was also captured on videotape. His assailants largely escaped punishment as well. An estimated $1 billion in damage to property was caused over six days. During the riots, King himself appealed for calm famously asking, to no avail, “Can’t we get along?”
Of course, King was no angel, much less a model citizen. King had a great deal of trouble getting along in this world especially when he consumed alcohol. He had brushes with the law both before his beating and after it. Nevertheless, King didn’t deserve what happened to him the night of March 3, 1991. King would later win a civil suit against the City of Los Angeles and two of the four officers were convicted and imprisoned for civil rights violations.
In recent years, King had gone the reality show route appearing in several of Dr. Drew Pinsky’s programs. King made his final public statement back in April when he commented on the Trayvon Martin case. King said he felt fortunate that his attack was captured on videotape.
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More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
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Oldefarte| 6.18.12 @ 9:01PM
Granted the sadness of his personal situation was regretable, but the then as now racial rioting of these situations are animalistic and deplorable. Same simply is an EXCUSE....to commit civil disobediense, mayhem, property distruction and physical assault. In this state presently a criminal/murder legal trial was concluded of several African Americans that home invaded a Caucasion for robbery purposes that ended with the victim murdered. Were any African American '''''reverands'''''' [ie race-baiting riot instigators for political purposes] to be found on the streets of the city where this occurred? Of course not, since the victim was white and the perps were black. Did the US Justice Dept declaring the need for its investigation of same? Hades NO! When are these racial rioters going to be mass arrested and tried for their guilty offenses against society? When is this nation going to bury forever its self-inflicted guilt over racial slavery of the 1800's? When is enough, enough? King's death is sad indeed, but the circumstances of his notority is deplorable, insidious, illegal and should be properly addressed by society!!!!!!!
Oldefarte| 6.18.12 @ 9:48PM
[From Braitbart.com]:
'.....
Yesterday, Rodney King was found dead at the bottom of his pool at the age of 47. King’s fiancée reported that he had been drinking heavily and smoking pot prior to his death; he apparently banged on her window, fully nude, then somehow ended up in the swimming pool. King’s friends say that King wouldn’t have drowned – he was reportedly a good swimmer. They question his fiancee’s story......King was certainly a troubled character. Or, more precisely, he was a bad guy. His arrest record was extraordinarily long:
•In July 1987, King beat up his wife while she was sleeping, then pulled her out of the house and proceeded to go another round with her. He pled “no contest” to battery.
•In November 1989, he robbed a store with a tire iron, swung a pie rack at a clerk, and was booked for assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree robbery, and intent to commit great bodily injury.
•In March 1991, King had his famous incident with the LAPD.
•In May 1991, King was pulled over for an excessively tinted windshield. He wasn’t charged.
•In May 1991, King picked up a transvestite prostitute. He wasn’t charged.
•In June 1992, King beat up his wife, but she didn’t press charges.
•In July 1992, King drove intoxicated. No charges.
•In July 1992, he drove drunk again. He was convicted of DIU.The rap sheet goes on and on. He was not a good guy.
Derek Leaberry| 6.19.12 @ 11:32AM
Excellent expose. Thank you.
Bob Grant| 6.18.12 @ 9:16PM
Aaron,
When you describe the verdict as a "miscarriage of justice" it's only fair to put in context how HIS actions caused the avalanche of bad decisions by all involved. HIS criminal and reckless behavior needs to be included as well.
This is a hard one (very hard) but to Rodney King, RIP.
RJ| 6.18.12 @ 10:42PM
Bob,
No argument that Rodney King's needed to be pulled over and subdued. The problem, as you probably remember is that after he was subdued, the police kept beating him up. I grew up being told that LAPD was tough, but professional. The King video showed the police acting like gang members. They were out of control. Before the King video, there were stories of police harassment, but it was generally out of view of most whites. I recall that Joe Morgan said he was hassled by the police (I think at LAX). The King video was a wake-up call for much of the white community in LA. You are right that if King had obeyed police instructions, the beating wouldn't have happened, but it wasn't relevant. The police were tried for what they did after they had him contained. Their behavior was unjustified and lawless.
This year, we have another trial involving the Fullerton police department killing Kelly Thomas. They had known from past encounters that he was a mentally-troubled man and he weighed about 140 pounds. They started to question him and he was uncooperative. Within 20 minutes, five policemen had beaten him up and he died. His skull was badly injured but he died because he couldn't breath. Too many of the police had their knees on his chest. The DA is personally trying the case against the two police officers charged. It is also a very disturbing case. A few weeks ago, three Fullerton City Councilmen were recalled over their reaction to this incident.
Occam's Tool| 6.19.12 @ 11:57AM
As a Psychiatrist working at Olive View MedicalCcenter at the time who dealt with scads of agitated street drugged patients, my objection to what occurred with Rodney King was that it was totally unnecessary. A simple six packing and transport to OVMC would have dealt with the situation adequately. "Sixpacking": cuff the wrists and ankles of the perp/patient, connect the two hand cuffs with one or two additional cuffs behind the patient. Patient can then be transported like a "sixpack." This was done endlessly, without permanent harm, to scads of cocaine addled agitated patients who arrived on 5150s at OVMC on stretchers.. Loved dealing with "screamers:" Haldol 5 mg/Aivan 2 mg/Benadryl 50 mg IM X 1 or 2 doses would then deal with the situation. Easy peasy, back to sleepy. Rodney was then a young 27 year old (I was 29, and had been an MD 4 years)---this would have been that straightforward--no problem, no lawsuit, no fuss, no muss.
I worked with Rampart frequently. Most of the guys were mystified by the "Little Alex/Clockwork Orange" approach as well. It was worse than being morally wrong---it was a mistake.
Occam's Tool| 6.19.12 @ 12:00PM
Obviously: "Medical Center." OVMC was the County Psychiatric hospital for LA's San Fernando Valley. Remember: LA's population in metro is 12 million---larger than almost all states.
Robert_Frank| 6.18.12 @ 10:17PM
PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION TO HAVE CASEY ANTHONY TRIED IN FEDERAL COURT. CREATED 4/14/12
Double jeopardy is subject to the dual sovereignty doctrine. It states that a person can be tried for the same crime twice if he or she is being tried by more than one distinct, sovereign government. A person could be tried by the federal government and by a state government for the same crime because both are distinctly sovereign units that have their own sets of laws and their power derived from different sets of people
The petition addresses the DOJ policy that guides them in deciding whether or not to bring federal charges against someone after a person has already been tried by a state
http://www.change.org/petition.....r-daughter
Or go to change.org and search for BREUER
RJ| 6.18.12 @ 10:17PM
Rodney King had many troubles in his life, but I will always be grateful for his heartfelt efforts to bring peace during the riots. He showed more leadership than Mayor Bradley.
Los Angeles County has never recovered from the riots. It was shocking and I imagine you had to see it happen to your home town to get the full impact of it. There was brutal mob violence, as illustrated by the savage beating of Reginald Denny, who forgave those who beat him and then sued the city. (Denny was rescued by a courageous black man, and may have been assisted by one or two others.) There also was wide-spread looting, with many Latinos and whites joining in. Stores owned by Asians were especially vulnerable targets. At times the looting had a carnival appearance. Mothers brought their young children to join in the looting. Reporters stood outside of broken windows to interview looters as they left the store with stolen goods in hand. One white man said he came from Alhambra see what he could get and said "Sorry Grandma. I couldn't get the shoes you asked for." I remember walking by another young white man in Long Beach and heard him tell his friend in joyous rapture about his looting experience. The 1991 riots showed us how fragile our civilization was in Los Angeles County. There were heroes and savages from different races during the riots and as Dr. Martin Luther King said, we should judge each person by their character, not by their race.
PCPSmokerII| 6.18.12 @ 10:45PM
He showed nothing. There is nothing to celebrate here. An asshole drug user, mascaraded as "troubles in his life," is the impetus for riot, gets $3 mill from the taxpayers, and ends up face first in the bottom of a pool. One more scumbag down the drain. You should be next.
Bob Grant| 6.18.12 @ 11:23PM
Is this a joke? Rodney King was a screw up who may have been a nice guy, but took full advantage as a Celebrity Victim.
He was popular for the phrase "can we just all get along" but every step of his life afterward he stoked the flames of racism, and for a tidy profit. The civil lawsuit (4 mil), the talk show circuit, and book sales, he took full monetary advantage of his "victim" status.
And considering what he put the city, country, and himself through and to continue to act in the same destructive manner which was the catalyst for the mess, speaks of the true Rodney King.
Your praise of him is unjustified.
RIP nevertheless.
RJ| 6.19.12 @ 1:25AM
Hi Bob,
Yes, Rodney King was a screw-up and I have no idea if he was a nice guy. All that I said on his behalf, is that when rioting began, he spoke out against it, for which I am grateful. On that day, he took a more helpful position than LA's mayor. Twice in my life, I have seen Los Angeles in flames. They are eye-opening experiences regarding the fragility of the civilization around you. I don't think he was responsible for the riots; that responsibility belongs to each rioter and looter who participated in them. As JmsA says, they were very troubling and sad days. I don't think Los Angeles has recovered from them.
chuck| 6.19.12 @ 7:34AM
I remember a reporter asking a rioter about Rodney King.
The answer: "Who?"
Albert Constantine Jr.| 6.19.12 @ 9:05AM
The use of force incident by police against King took place in 1991. The trial and resultant use of force incidents by the mob took place in 1992.
Oldefarte| 6.19.12 @ 11:51AM
No King was not responsible for the riots, BUT these race-baiting black non-leaders ARE REPONSIBLE for same, along with the imbicilic followers of these morons are. Again, when will they stop mindlessly listening/following these charletons? When is enough enough? Slavery ended in approximately the 1800 etc from the Emancipation Proclamation. The legal SCOTUS case of Brown vs. Bd. of Ed. in 1954 equalized the public school system. There are no more EXCUSES. When will this excrement cease? When will the asinine attempts at assigning guilt over slavery of the 1800's cease to be used as a political weapon? When will writers, bloggers etc stop moaning and groaning about some downtrodden, useless, worthless etc individuals who excremented away their lives, never accepted reponsibility for same, never worked to better themselves educationally and morally, continuously actied irresponsibly which allowed the liberal community to use same as a political weapon upon their death? Many of us are sick and tired of this BS which has occurred our substantial lifetimes and want it to stop. Everyone is now born equal, and even though some are born into wealth while others are born into poverty, there are equalization mechanisms in life [free public school etc] that if taken advantage of can level the playing field substantially for the latter. King and his ilk are thugs, pure and simple [see Braitbart's above examples of his ''''F'''''ups in his lifetime]!!!!!!!
JmsA| 6.19.12 @ 1:01AM
I remember as I drove down to work, just across from the U.S.C. Campus, I briefly wondered as I drove on the freeway through downtown L.A., why the traffic was so light. Little did I know the first hint of trouble was just ahead, as I noticed a number of smoke columns arising over the very north end of South Central. As I arrived at work, only to find nary anyone, save for small groups of young South Central youths running around, an L.A.P.D. black and white suddenly pulled over but a few feet from me, and a patrolman in full riot gear screamed at me to get out or I would die. I nodded approvingly, jumped in my car and headed north on MLK Blvd., only to find the freeway on-ramp blocked by a burning truck. As I quickly backed up, amidst the cacophany of sirens and low flying police shoppers, I saw a group of very angry youths running towards me, only to just as suddenly disperse and disappear, much to my relief, as two black and whites approached the freeway entrance with a fire truck, which promptly put out the fire, allowing me to drive home to La Canada. I'll never forget that day, including the news that a good friend, a paramedic, had been shot and seriously wounded as he responded to a call not too far from Florence and Normandy, where Reginald Denny was attacked and beaten. Those were indeed very troubling and sad days.
I hope Mr. King, and the many other victims of the riots, all rest in peace.
Oldefarte| 6.19.12 @ 11:58AM
The ''''victims''''' of any riot are usually the property owners who financially are semi-destroyed needlessly[many of whom are uninsured and must bear the costs of restoration; and eve n if insured, the insurance costs from claims paid out trickles down to the rest of us through higher insurance premiums] by these animalistic thugs aka RIOTERS. If the police discharged their weapons indiscrimately within same in order to protect society from their jungleistic insanity it would be a blessing in disguise. Many of us simply take the attitues of GOOD RIDDENCE!!!!!!!!
Occam's Tool| 6.19.12 @ 4:32PM
At the VA in which I trained, we had a medication clinic, which many of the residents would occasionally skip (I didn't; I found it fascinating, and given that modern psychiatry is a med clinic, I found my teaching clinic ENORMOUSLY helpful).
At any rate, my wife and I met my med clinic professor and supervisor some years later in Florida when attending a conference. She told me that she thought my work in the clinic was excellent (it was, as I said, I really liked psychopharmacology, and still do) and noted her problems with getting the residents to routinely attend. I told her that I, myself, had only ever skipped one clinic when not truly sick. Her face started to glower, and she asked me in a somewhat irritated fashion, "which one?"
"The one during the LA riots, ma'am. I didn't want to have to drive on the freeways under martial law."
Her face immediately softened. "Oh, well, that makes sense; I thoroughly understand."
JmsA, I am glad you survived. I graduated from my program on June 18th, 1993 (knowing that I was moving to Alabama, they let me leave early---I do greatly respect and admire my teachers in my residency, who were exceptional, and as the years go by I admire more and more), and except for two brief visits, I haven't been back to LA since, oh, say, 1995. haven't missed it. It is not a place to raise families.
Occam's Tool| 6.19.12 @ 4:32PM
Sorry: "Haven't missed it."
JmsA| 6.19.12 @ 9:09PM
Thanks, OT. There were a couple of instances I thought I'd be lucky to get out in one piece. I just never imagined it could spread out so quickly, and it was not until that evening that I truly understood the enormity of the situation, what with the increasingly bad news as events unfolded, and seeing the glow of burning South Central while entering the 2 South off Foothill blvd.
Noting that you completed your program from U.C.L.A., if memory serves me right, I happen to know a wonderful lady who completed both her undergraduate and medical school studies at U.C.L.A., during roughly the same time you were there. She later went on to research work, including pharmaceuticals.
I hope you and yours are doing well in Alabama. I drove through it once, and found it not only beautiful, but also very welcoming. All the best.
NSHouston | 6.19.12 @ 6:08AM
Not to be insensitive, but we have been discussing this sad event at www.nursingschoolsinhouston.info and were wondering that if his death, even if accidental (but it feels self inflicted) was related strongly to the incident he had endured.
We imagine that Mr. King carried a certain amount of trauma with him throughout his days.
Does anyone know Mr. Kings disposition around the time of his death?
Oldefarte| 6.19.12 @ 12:01PM
Here's his 'DISPOSITION' for you:
'....King’s fiancée reported that he had been drinking heavily and smoking pot prior to his death; he apparently banged on her window, fully nude, then somehow ended up in the swimming pool....'
Occam's Tool| 6.19.12 @ 4:34PM
He was a druggie who did PCP, and was high on the last day of his life. PTSD must be subsumed under acute drug intoxication/abuse (abuse WELL predated the incident and indeed was the cause) as a cause of death.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 6.19.12 @ 6:37AM
If the officers were acquitted it's because they were innocent. The alleged civil rights violations were double jeopardy convictions.
All Rodney King had to do was follow instructions and remain down. The video proved he was nothing but a thug who kept trying to get up to confront the officers.
The real miscarriage of justice was the case of Reginald Denny. Only one of the perps did any real time and then ended up with a life sentence for a murder rap in an unrelated case.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 6.19.12 @ 9:03AM
If I recall correctly from the original 1992 trial, Kuhn (sp?), Wynn and Briseno were acquitted. The jury hung on Lawrence Powell, who delivered more than 40 of the 60+ blows that struck King.
The jury acquitted the three officers because they were shown the whole video (not the edited version shown most frequently in the media) frame by frame, which revealed that most were struck in response to resistant actions by King (Powell’s blows were a bit more gratuitous, which explains why he wasn’t acquitted).
The jury at the state trial in Simi Valley were more likely peers of the police defendants, and Rodney King did not testify there. In the federal trial, the jury was an LA jury (more akin to King than the officers), and even they acquitted Briseno and Wynn. Kuhn, as Sergeant, took responsibility as supervisor at the scene, and as a result, was convicted along with Powell.
I recall watching much of the state trial in 1992, and based on the evidence presented by the LA District Attorney and the excellent defense, I predicted the not guilty verdicts for the three defendants acquitted (Powell was more problematic). I never felt the result of that trial could be construed as a miscarriage of justice, but reflected the frequent incompetency of the DA that we saw again a couple of years later in the OJ trial.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 6.19.12 @ 9:38AM
Don't forget the prosecutors were having an affair while the trial went on. Just another prime example of incompetency and loose morals by government employees.
After Darden admitted he had an affair with Marcia Clark, he then went on to blast the defense attorneys and Judge Ito.
As usual, the libs are never responsible.
Bob Grant| 6.19.12 @ 10:10AM
Speaking of loose morals, let's not forget Mr. King's current fiance was a jury panelist on the civil trial, a panel that eventually awarded Rodney 4 million dollars in the civil suit.
I suppose she didn't care how THAT would appear to the public.
Oldefarte| 6.19.12 @ 12:05PM
Wait, having an affair is an impeachable offense in the legal community? Shazam! 99% of attorneys would then be unable to set foot in a courtroom if that were the case!!!!!
Seek| 6.19.12 @ 12:40PM
The lead officer on the scene, Sgt. Stacey Koons, wrote a book about the incident, "Presumed Guilty." He makes a compelling case that the state verdict was right; the officers were innocent of "brutality."
Derek Leaberry| 6.19.12 @ 9:16AM
Mr. Goldstein is still the little New Democrat lefty that he was a college boy. Boo-hoo, poor Rodney King! However, Rodney King got what he asked for in 1991. Apparently King could have used a better hiding as he never did learn to become anything other than a savage.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 6.19.12 @ 10:00AM
An entitled savage! Don't forget that.
Derek Leaberry| 6.19.12 @ 10:53AM
I've been pulled over seven or eight times in my life. All you have to do to not get beaten is to act civilized and treat the officer with a modicum of respect. It is also a good idea not to drive 120 MPH through a city when you're drunk and high on drugs. I would say that it is fortunate that King never was responsible for anyone's death(that we know of) but we can't even say that.
Oldefarte| 6.19.12 @ 12:15PM
Here's 'responsible' for you [or no doubt IRRESPONSIBLE]:
'.....His arrest record was extraordinarily long:
•In July 1987, King beat up his wife while she was sleeping, then pulled her out of the house and proceeded to go another round with her. He pled “no contest” to battery.
•In November 1989, he robbed a store with a tire iron, swung a pie rack at a clerk, and was booked for assault with a deadly weapon, second-degree robbery, and intent to commit great bodily injury.
•In March 1991, King had his famous incident with the LAPD.
•In May 1991, King was pulled over for an excessively tinted windshield. He wasn’t charged.
•In May 1991, King picked up a transvestite prostitute. He wasn’t charged.
•In June 1992, King beat up his wife, but she didn’t press charges.
•In July 1992, King drove intoxicated. No charges.
•In July 1992, he drove drunk again. He was convicted of DIU.The rap sheet goes on and on. He was not a good guy......'
Oldefarte| 6.19.12 @ 12:07PM
'entitled' is only questionable!!!!
Skippy| 6.19.12 @ 4:23PM
Derek: For your consideration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haiHGlo7O4o
CAD| 6.19.12 @ 10:26AM
Can't we all get along? NO. We can't, and we won't. The country is headed (quickly) towards secession, civil war, or some interesting combination of both, because those who believe the late Mr. King was a hero/martyr and those who look at the facts, and understand that he was (1) a mewling, pathetic dirtbag unworthy of any sympathy or notoriety; and (2) an excuse for criminal animals to be criminal animals without consequence, CAN'T get along. There's no possible deal or compromise between the two camps. It logically follows that one of the two camps will be better prepared for war than the other, as war is inevitable.
Oldefarte| 6.19.12 @ 12:10PM
We can all get along if some of us begin to make responsible use of the free empowerment vehicles now available to everyone in order to improve themselves and allow them to contribute to society. Otherwise as exists currently, NO!!!!!
Occam's Tool| 6.19.12 @ 12:03PM
I took my girlfriend at the time to a hotel, and we stayed in for the next few evenings, going out during the relatively calm day. My only time under martial law---I determined to leave LA and never come back once my residency was finished---the GF and I broke up soon after as I did not want to marry her.
C'mon Man!| 6.19.12 @ 9:06PM
King, as well as Trayvon Martin, got what they, and the rest of us, deserved. Sadly, King was rewarded for his behavior - drugs and running from the police, then fighting them when they tried to apprehend him. Did the police go to far? Maybe, but neither you nor I were there and involved in the apprehension, so to make a decision on that is ludicrous. All King needed to do was surrender to the police, then nothing would have happened. Do you suggest the police let people go who fight them? I don't.
As for his civil victory, that was a miscarriage of justice, in direct violation of double jeopardy. How can you be found innocent in one court, then guilty in a lesser court? And we wonder why America has problems...