Rodney King, Whose Videotaped Beating Sparked Rioting/Looting in LB and L.A., Dies At 47

(June 17, 2012) -- Rodney King, whose March 3, 1991 videotaped beating by LAPD officers sparked days of rioting and looting in Long Beach and Los Angeles, has died.

Via CNN: click here.

The nighttime beating, which followed a high speed chase, was captured by a private citizen from a distance using a videotape "camcorder" (then state of the art) and the tape was subsequently obtained and telecast by KTLA.

Four of the officers were prosecuted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and excessive use of force by a police officer. A Simi Valley jury acquirred three of the officers on all charges, deadlocking on one charge of excessive force against one officer.

The verdicts sparked days of rioting and looting, which began hours after the verdict with the beating of truckdriver Reginald Denny at Florence/Normandie (telecast live). The looting/rioting included the burning of multiple businesses in L.A. and Long Beach, including several along parts of Anaheim St. and PCH in LB in addition to a now-former DMV office location on Willow St.

In L.A., Korean-American owned businesses were especially hard hit and looting stretched from south-central L.A. into midtown L.A. and parts of Hollywood. The rioting/looting only ended after the belated arrival of the National Guard. [UPDATE: See comment below by John Deats re arrival of U.S. Marine Corps.]

During the rioting, Mr. King held a news conference, displayed his wounds and in halting words made the now-famous statement: "Can't we all...get along?"

At the time, a campaign had been ongoing in Los Angeles to force the resignation of then-L.A. Police Chief Daryl Gates. Then-L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley and Police Chief Gates would later be criticized for maintaining a long-term mutually acrimonious working relationship. As the flames became to spread on the night of verdict, Mayor Bradley attended a South Central L.A. church meeting alongside some speakers who made less than conciliatory statements. Chief Gates wasn't present at LAPD HQ in the hours after the verdict as the rioting began to build.

The four officers were subsequently tried on federal civil rights charges; two were convicted and did federal jail time.

In 1996, Mr. King was convicted of a hit run involving his then-wife and on March 3, 2011 (the 10th anniversary of his beating) King was stopped by LAPD for driving erratically and cited for driving with an expired license; he received a Feb. 2012 misdemeanor conviction for reckless driving.