On March 3, 1991, a video captured Rodney King being brutally attacked by officers of the LAPD after an 8-mile police pursuit. The footage was widely disseminated on news broadcasts, provoking nationwide anger about King’s treatment. King, who was on parole for robbery, was released from custody without charges.
Meanwhile, the four officers were charged with assault and excessive use of force. The outrage in Los Angeles was so palpable that their trial was moved to Ventura County, per History. Along with Los Angeles, the nation watched the trial expecting commensurate justice to what was seen as a prime example of racist police brutality. Local television stations reported that the trial received more viewership than other local programs, per the LA Times.
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But the jury found the officers not guilty, except for a sole charge of an assault that resulted in a hung jury. As a result, Los Angeles erupted in five days of rioting. The reaction was particularly charged in South Los Angeles, which was predominantly Black at the time and experienced a 50% unemployment rate, per NPR. Across the city, there was widespread arson and looting, which resulted in $1 billion in property damage. In only three days, 60 people were killed and more than 2,000 were injured, forcing President George H.W. Bush to send in federal officers.
In 1993, a federal trial found two of the officers guilty of assault, and King received $3.8 million in a civil suit, per History.
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