Rodney Glen King was a victim of a police brutality incident involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3 1991.George Holliday a bystander videotaped it from a distance.
The footage showed 7 officers surrounding solitary King with several LAPD officers striking a helpless King repeatedly while other officers stood by watching without taking any action.A portion of the footage was aired by news agencies around the world sparking a public outrage that increased between the black community and LAPD.Four officers were later trialed in state court for the beating.Three was acquitted and the jury failed to reach a verdict for the fourth.
The announcement of the acquittals sparked the LA riots in 1992.A federal trial later for civil rights violations ended when two officers was found guilty and sent to prison and the others acquitted.
Mr.King was born April 2 in Sacramento to Odessa King who had 4 other children.Ronald his father died at 42.Mr.King grew up in Pasadena.
In November 1989 King robbed a store in Monterey Park.He threatened to hit the Korean owner with an iron bar he carried then hit him with a pole.He stole $200 in the robbery and was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment and was released after serving a year.King was divorced twice and had three kids.His first ex wifes were Crystal Waters and Danetta.
On March 2 King and passengers Bryant Middle and Freddie Holmes were driving west on Foothill Freeway(Interstate210)in the San Fernando area of LA.The 3 men spent the night at a friends house watching a basketball game and drinking.King's alcohol blood level was 0.19 almost two and a half times the legal limit in California.
On June17 King's fiancee Cynthia Kelly found him in his swimming pool.Police in Rialto got a 911 call from Kelly at 5:25am.Officers found him at the bottom of his pool.King was pronounced dead at 6:11am.
