Rodney King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rodney King
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King in April 2012
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| Born |
Rodney Glen King
April 2, 1965 Sacramento, California, U.S.
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| Died | June 17, 2012 (aged 47) Rialto, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California, U.S. |
| Known for | Victim of a police brutality case that led to public protests, riots and police reform |
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Notable work
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The Riot Within: My Journey from Rebellion to Redemption |
| Spouse(s) |
Daneta Lyles
(m. 1985; div. 1988)Crystal Waters
(m. 1989; div. 1996) |
| Partner(s) | Cynthia Kelley (2010–2012; his death) |
| Children | 3 |
Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965 – June 17, 2012) was an African American man who became well-known after an incident of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was beaten by LAPD officers during his arrest. This happened after a high-speed car chase on the I-210.
A person named George Holliday filmed the incident from his nearby balcony. He sent the video to a local news station, KTLA. The video showed King, who was not armed, on the ground being beaten after trying to get away from the police. News channels all over the world showed this video, and it made many people very upset.
Los Angeles police chief Daryl Gates announced that the four officers involved would be punished for using too much force. Three of them would face criminal charges. The LAPD first charged King with trying to escape, but they later dropped this charge. When he was released, he spoke to reporters from his wheelchair, and his injuries were clear to see. He said he was scared and tried to move slowly so as not to make any "stupid moves".
Four officers were later tried for using too much force. Three of them were found not guilty. The jury could not decide on one charge for the fourth officer. Soon after these decisions, the 1992 Los Angeles riots began. People, especially racial minorities, were very angry about the trial's outcome and other long-standing social problems. There were also tensions between the African American and Korean American communities. The riots lasted six days. They caused 63 deaths and injured 2,383 people. The riots only stopped after the California Army National Guard, the Army, and the Marine Corps came to help bring back control. Rodney King asked for the conflict to end peacefully.
The United States government started a separate civil rights case. A grand jury decided that the four officers should be charged with violating King's civil rights. Their trial in a federal court ended in April 1993. Two of the officers were found guilty and sent to prison. The other two were found not guilty. In a separate civil lawsuit in 1994, a jury decided that the City of Los Angeles was responsible. They awarded Rodney King $3.8 million in damages.
Contents
Rodney King's Early Life
Rodney King was born in Sacramento, California, in 1965. His parents were Ronald and Odessa King. He grew up in Altadena, California, with his four brothers and sisters. King went to John Muir High School. He often said that his social science teacher, Robert E. Jones, inspired him. King's father passed away in 1984 when he was 42 years old.
The Los Angeles Riots and What Happened Next
At first, not many people thought race was a main reason for the case, even Rodney King's lawyer. However, the video filmed by George Holliday caused strong anger among black people in Los Angeles. They, and people in other big U.S. cities, had often complained about police mistreatment. The jury for the officers' trial was made up of people from Ventura County: ten white, one Latino, and one Asian person. The main prosecutor, Terry White, was black. On April 29, 1992, the jury found three of the officers not guilty. They could not agree on one charge against officer Powell.
Within hours of these decisions, the 1992 Los Angeles riots began. They lasted for six days. African-Americans were very angry about the verdicts. They, along with Latino communities, started protesting in the streets. Before law enforcement, the California Army National Guard, the United States Army, and the United States Marine Corps brought order back, the riots had caused 63 deaths. There were also 2,383 injuries, over 7,000 fires, damage to 3,100 businesses, and nearly $1 billion in financial losses. Smaller protests happened in other U.S. cities like San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Seattle. They also happened as far east as Atlanta and New York City. A protest also took place on Yonge Street in Toronto, Canada. Canadians gathered to protest the decision in Los Angeles and a local police killing of a Black man in Toronto two days before.
Rodney King's Later Life
Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley offered King $200,000 and a four-year college education paid for by the city. King chose not to accept this offer. Instead, he sued the city and was later awarded $3.8 million. Bryant Allen, who was a passenger in King's car that night, received $35,000 in his lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles. The family of Freddie Helms, the other passenger, settled for $20,000. Helms died in a car crash on June 29, 1991, at age 20, in Pasadena. King used some of his settlement money to start a record label called Straight Alta-Pazz Records. He hoped to hire minority employees, but the business eventually closed. Later, with help from a writer, he wrote and published a book about his life.
On September 9, 2010, it was confirmed that King planned to marry Cynthia Kelley. She had been a juror in the civil lawsuit he brought against the City of Los Angeles. On March 3, 2011, which was the 20th anniversary of the beating, the LAPD stopped King for driving in an unusual way. They gave him a ticket for driving with an expired license. This led to him being found guilty of reckless driving in February 2012.
The BBC reported King's thoughts on his impact. He said, "Some people feel like I'm some kind of hero. Others hate me. They say I deserved it. Other people, I can hear them mocking me for when I called for an end to the destruction like I'm a fool for believing in peace."
Rodney King's Memoir
In April 2012, Rodney King published his book, The Riot Within: My Journey from Rebellion to Redemption. Lawrence J. Spagnola helped him write it. The book talks about King's early life and his personal story of the arrest, the trials, and everything that happened afterward.
Rodney King's Death
Rodney King passed away on June 17, 2012, in Rialto, California. Al Sharpton gave the speech at King's funeral. King is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles County, California.
Rodney King's Legacy
Rodney King has become a symbol of police brutality. However, his family remembers him as a "human, not a symbol." King never supported hatred or violence against the police. He famously asked, "Can we all get along?" This became his main message for the rest of his life. Since his death, his daughter Lora King has worked with the LAPD. She aims to build better relationships between the police and the black community. She also started a non-profit organization, the Rodney King Foundation, in honor of her father.
Images for kids
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King with fiancée Cynthia Kelley a few months before his death. Kelley was one of the jurors in King's civil suit against the city of Los Angeles when he was awarded $3.8 million.
See also
In Spanish: Rodney King para niños
