Rodney King, a black man, was stopped after leading the police on an 8-mile chase on the streets of Los Angeles, California on March 3, 1991. According to sources, King was on pursuit after he was allegedly intoxicated and was caught speeding on a freeway by a California Highway Patrol cruiser. They shared that he refused to pull up when he was asked to, hence the chase.
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King was eventually stopped by several police cars and a helicopter above his Hyundai while seated in the car along with two other passengers. The two passengers complied when they were asked to exit the vehicle and lie flat on the ground, however, King refused to, rather going on his knees with his hands behind his neck.
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A couple of officers from the LAPD department led by Sergeant Stacey Koon used force to make King comply. One of the officers named Laurence Powell was the main abuser of King when he resisted. King was shot twice with an electric stun gun also known as a Taser, carrying a charge of 50,000 volts.
A civilian called George Holliday who was standing at the balcony of his apartment video taped the entire incident with his new video camera. King also shared that Powell beat him up so bad and told him straight, “We’re going to kill you, n****. Run!” Holliday’s video was eventually sold to CNN and caused a public outrage after it was broadcasted.
It was reported that King was beaten with a baton as many as 56 times. He was sent to the hospital with a fractured leg, multiple facial fractures, and numerous bruises. However, the officers reported his injuries as “minor.”
The officers were later charged and dismissed, however, Powell and Koon were sentenced to two-and-half years in prison for their crime. King was released without charges.
How did Rodney King die?
Rodney King was reported dead on June 17, 2012. According to his autopsy report, he died of accidental drowning.
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