Rodney King

Rodney Glen King (born April 2, 1965 in Sacramento, California) is an African-American taxi driver who became famous after his violent arrest by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was videotaped by a bystander, George Holliday.

The incident raised a public outcry among people who believed it was racially motivated. In an environment of growing tension between the black community and the LAPD as well as increasing anger over police brutality and more general issues of unemployment, racial tension, and poverty facing the black community in South Central Los Angeles, the acquittal in a state court of the four officers charged with using excessive force in subduing King provided the spark that led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

On March 3, 1991, King, on parole from prison on a robbery conviction, led police on a high speed pursuit, refusing to pull over in response to the red lights and sirens behind him. Finally, after driving through several red lights and boulevard stops, he pulled over in the Lake View Terrace district. The Los Angeles police were assisted by other law enforcement. King, who had a record of drunk driving and was believed to be under the influence of PCP by the officers on scene, resisted arrest even after being tasered, tackled, and struck with batons by four LAPD officers: Ofc. Laurence Powell, Ofc. Timothy Wind, Ofc. Theodore Briseno and Sgt. Stacey Koon, all white officers. He is also alleged to have lunged for the weapon of one of the police officers on site, although that event, supposedly being early in the altercation, was not caught on the tape. In a later interview, King said that, being on parole six previous occasions he feared apprehension and being returned to prison for parole violations.

The incident, minus the first few minutes, was captured on video by a private citizen, George Holliday, from his apartment that was in the vicinity, and it became an international media sensation and a touchpoint for activists in Los Angeles and around the United States. Eventually the Los Angeles district attorney charged the fur with the use of excessive force in the incident. Due to the media coverage of the incident, the trial received a change of venue to a newly constructed courthouse in predominantly white Simi Valley, in neighboring Ventura County. The jury was made up of Ventura County residents. Unbeknownst to many, the prosecutor who failed to obtain convictions for three of the officers in this case, Terry White, was African-American.

^[1]^[2] On April 29, 1992, three of the officers were acquitted by a jury of ten whites, one Latino, and an Asian. The jury could not agree on a verdict for one of the counts on one of the officers. The acquittal was based in part on a 13-second segment of the video tape that was edited out by television news stations in their broadcast. It was not previously seen by the public. Those first 13 seconds of videotape apparently showed Rodney King getting up off the ground and charging at one of the police officers, Ofc. Laurence Powell. Prior to that, the testimony of the officers indicated that they tried to physically restrain King but, according to the officers, King was able to physically throw them off himself. That alleged incident was not caught on tape.^[3] Based on this testimony and the previously unseen segment of the videotape, the officers were acquitted on almost all charges. The general public was largely unaware of the testimony and the unedited videotape footage.

Analysis and cultural impact of the event

The video of the incident is an example of inverse surveillance (i.e. citizens watching police). As a result of the incident, several Copwatch organizations were formed nationwide to safeguard against future abuses. Counter-police-abuse organizations and justice committees for victims of police violence increased after 1992, and a national umbrella group known as the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality was established. Black community and civil rights leaders have repeatedly used the Rodney King incident in analogy along with other incidents of police violence against black suspects.

Recent life

After the riots King was awarded $3.8 million in a civil case, and used some of the money to start a rap label: Alta-Pazz Recording Company.^[4]

After the riots, King moved to Fontana, California.

He was arrested again on charges of spousal assault in 1999. In 2001 he was ordered to undergo a year of drug treatment after pleading guilty to 3 counts of being under the influence of PCP and indecent exposure. ^[5] On August 27, 2003 he was arrested again on similar charges as his 1991 arrest. King was said to be speeding as he ran a red light while under the influence of PCP, and failed to yield to police officers.

References in popular culture

On the song Reality Check from Binary Star's Masters of the Universe album, they say: "I got next like Rodney King".
In the 2003 film "Intolerable Cruelty", a girl says: "Makes you wonder about the entire legal system, like Rodney what's-his-name?".
In the film Mars Attacks!, President Dale says "Little people, why can't we all just get along?".
In the 2003 film Bad Santa, Billy Bob Thornton's character, Willie, was fired upon by police while unarmed. During a narration near the end of the film, Willie said, "...everyone agreeing that the Phoenix police department shooting an unarmed Santa eight times in the back was even more fucked up than the Rodney King thing."
Within a month after the riots, popular TV show L.A. Law depicted the riots involving a plot in which major character Stuart Markowitz (Michael Tucker) receives a near fatal beating from a rioter.
In The Simpsons episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts", talkshow host Birch Barlow replies to Sideshow Bob's phone call by saying Bob was "another intelligent Conservative railroaded by our liberal justice system just like Colonel Oliver North, Officer Stacey Koons" [sic], Koon being one of the police officers involved in the Rodney King incident.
In the "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride" episode of South Park one of the announcers at the football game said, "I haven't seen a beating like that since Rodney King".
A scene in the italian parody film The Silence of the hams (1993) shows Rodney King actually beating up the policemen.
Footage of the Rodney King incident was used in the title credits of the movie Malcolm X.
The Rodney King incident was disregarded by Derek, a white supremacist, in American History X. He claimed in a flashback that King got what he deserved.
Rodney King and the April Riots are the focus of the song "April 29, 1992 (Miami)" by Sublime; April 29th, 1992 is the day that frontman Brad Nowell wrote the song. He couldn't think of a song title according to an acquaintance so he titled it after the date. The first line of the song reads, "April 26, 1992, there was a riot on the streets tell me where were you..." which is the incorrect date for the start of the riots. The actual reference to Rodney King says, "But if you look at the streets, it wasn't about Rodney King. It's this fucked-up situation and these fucked-up police...And screamin' 187 on a mother fuckin' cop"
The 1996 film Jingle All The Way, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, contains a scene in which the character Myron Larabee (Sinbad) gets jumped by an angry mob in a shopping mall and he yells out "Rodney King! Rodney King...," relating it in a comical way.
The 2002 film Dark Blue, starring Kurt Russell, takes place during the days leading up to and including the Rodney King trial verdict.
Numerous rappers have used Rodney King as an example of police brutality.
In a season 3 episode of The Office, Michael Scott pleads "Can't we all just get along?", but attributes the quote to Martin Luther King by mistake.
In Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, the Black character Tyrone is interviewed during a prison riot. He says, "Can't we all just get along?"
In the film Airheads, the chant "Rodney King" is used by the rock fans apparently from presence of police officers in the movie.
In an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 with the short movie Last Clear Chance, Mike Nelson replies "Like being spanked by Rodney King" when onscreen the police officer is asked why he can't go to a funeral.
In another episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 with the movie The Amazing Colossal Man, one of the characters states the police won't hurt the main character, "...unless he gives them any trouble" to which Crow responds, "Yeah, like Rodney King!"
Finally, in the MST3K film "Crash of the Moons" (EP417), Gypsy, Crow and Tom Servo sing a song called "Gypsy Moon", where Gypsy references Sgt. Stacey Koon. "Gypsy: Although I'd just as soon take Nyquil with a spoon, Then listen to you two drone on about the gypsy moon, If the choice between you too goons, I'd rather date Stacey Koon!

Crow and Tom: [whisper] Stacey Koon?"

On the Family Guy episode, "Brian Does Hollywood", Peter pretends to get beaten up by the LAPD (in the same way the LAPD beat up Rodney) so Lois can videotape it during their trip to L.A. to visit Brian. Additionally on the episode "Prick Up Your Ears" Mayor Adam West watches Rodney King of Queens.
In the film, Three Kings, when the main characters storm the Iraqi bunker, the soldiers there are viewing footage of the incident.
Ice Cube says "Didn't wanna go out like my man Rodney King" in his song Alive on Arrival. On the same album there is a skit focussing on police brutality (a shooting) where the officer says "I'm gonna do you like King... Rodney King, Martin Luther King..." He also brings up April 29 and Malcolm X references in his song, "Wicked". His song "Tear This Muthafucka Up" focusses on the riots and the protagonists in the King incident, naming the officers and stating as a parting shot: "But your National Guard ain't hard. You had to get Rodney to stop me..."
Rodney King is substituted into the chorus instead of the title line in the song "Like a King" by Ben Harper. On the same album, the song "Don't Take That Attitude to Your Grave" refers to the moving of a court case "way across town".
In the movie Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood there is a scene where police officers are playing an arcade game titled "Rodney's Ride", in which the object is to beat a suspect. At one point, a "bonus" applies when a video camera appears to tape the beating.
In the 1998 film Ride two characters steal a local police officer's gun and when the officer finds the two and arrests them, one character utters "Rodney King".
In the TV series Reno 911!, in the 14th episode of the second season, when a "tourist couple from Sparks" videotapes the beating of Milkshake by members of the Reno Sheriff's Department and subsequent death in traffic, it is possible to tell from clues in the DVD commentary and Google Earth that this scene was filmed around the corner from where the Rodney King incident took place (Foothill Blvd and Osborne St, right by Hansen Lake near Sun Valley). It can only be assumed that this location was chosen by the show's creators on purpose, judging by the content of the episode, though this of course is pure conjecture.
In the TV series Boston Legal - Season 1, Episode 15: "Tortured Souls", Alan Shore studies footage of the Rodney King police beating, which is seen on screen. In this episode he is taking on a case of police brutality.
In one of his books, Howard Stern said that drunk driver King should be beaten any time he reaches for his car keys.
In D-12's song "Fight Music" they refer to beating someone saying, "if any nigga lookin too hard, we Rodney kingin' 'em."
In the My Name Is Earl episode "Y2K", Randy wants to do some looting during Y2K, saying "I'm still kinda mad about that Larry King verdict."
The Boondocks also made a couple of references to Rodney King. In the episode "Granddad's Fight" Riley quotes "Granddad, Rodney King just called and said Damn! I thought I got my ass whooped." Also in the episode "The Block Is Hot" Ruckus is beaten by cops the same way Rodney King was.
In the music video for Ministry's 1992 single N.W.O., a parody of the Rodney King beating features a young white woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty being beaten by police.
In the intro to the Eazy-E song "Neighborhood Snyper", Rodney King is giving a speech while everyone listening is yelling insults at him; afterwards, King and everyone else involved is scattering in fear while Eazy-E is firing shots.
In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which is set around 1992, there is a mission where a similar situation sparks a similar style of riot.
Twiztid's "Diemuthfuckdie!" from their 1998 debut album Mostasteless contains the verse "And every cop should be beat like Rodney King/Non stop from the summer till it turn to spring/Shove a doughnut in their mouth and a badge in their ass/Because the pigs don't get no class/They get their wigs spilt."
In the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will tells Carlton that if he wants to get his head bashed in he can star in the next Rodney King video. In a later episode the Los Angeles cop that brings Will after Uncle Phil boots him out of the house tells the family that he had better "beat it". Also, after hearing that Carlton is a father, he claims to Vivian and Phil that, like the Rodney King videotape, he 'keeps seeing it over and over again'.
In the song "Build Great Man" by the reggae artist Jah Cure he says, "them kill Malcolm X and Martin Luther King and the same thing they go and do to Rodney King." When Jah Cure wrote this song he was in prison for charges of rape, robbery and possession of a gun.
In the song "California Screaming", The Selecter sings "Once upon a time, a King had a dream, then two LA cops made another King scream", pointing to Martin Luther King and Rodney King respectively.
In Marvel's Runaways comic book series issue #14 the runaways get into a fight with the police and one of the runaways says to the cops, "This is for Rodney King, y'all."
In the 1993 film Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Robin of Loxley (played by Cary Elwes) comes across a bunch of royal knights holding Achoo (played by Dave Chappelle) against a tree and beating him. After Robin asks aloud "Achoo?", since he can't tell who the victim really is, they reply "Bless you!" and continue the beating. When Robin dismounts his horse, while the knights and Achoo are off camera, one can hear Achoo say "Man I hope someone's gettin' a video of this thing!"
In the song "Nutz On Ya Chin", Eazy-E says "Check me and Rodney King, Fuck Tha Police part 2".
In the song "Twista Feat Faith Evans - HOPE", one of the lyrics says, "And in the famous words of Mr. King why can't we all just get along?" referring to the time King confronted the cameras about the racism he had suffered.
Bill Hicks had an entire bit about the incident from his Arizona Bay album: While I was in England, I got to see footage of the Rodney King trial that I was never able to see over here. I think I figured out why the LA riots occurred. Did you guys see these cops testifying? Did these guys have balls or what? They carry their balls in a wheelbarrow. "'Cuse me, 'cuse me, man with big balls coming through. Man with big balls is here to testify." "Please place your right testicle on the bible." BOOOM. This guy, Officer Coon … is life too fucking weird or what? Officer Coon actually looks into the camera and says: "Yeah, that Rodney King beating tape, it's all in how you look at it." The courtroom murmurs: "Jesus, what balls." … "Really? How would you look at it, Officer Coon?" "Well, if you play it backwards, you see us pick King up and helping him on his way." Mmm... not guilty.
Within a few weeks after the riots, Dr. Demento, whose radio show always includes novelty recordings dealing with current events, played a poem titled "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" By Gil Scott-Heron.
The novel Nigger Heaven by Carl Van Vechten was banned from Orange County libraries following the Rodney King riots.
In the 1992 song "Dead Yankee Drawl" by Manic Street Preachers, one line says, "Cos reality for T.V. is Disney, not King, Rodney".
In the movie Barbershop, Cedric The Entertainer said, "Rodney King should've got his ass beat for drivin' drunk in the suburbs."
In the Dog Eat Dog song "Who's the King" there is the line "nobody moves, nobody gets hurt, but still Rodney King got treated like dirt."
The Downset song "Anger" has a part where the singer repeats the line "April, 29th, Florence and Normandy" which points to the above mentioned incident.
In the Comedy Central show Halfway Home, after Kenny has given the housemates Viagra, Sebastian walks into the room and is asked by Kenny "Any luck?" refering to the long lasting erection all four of the inmates have, to which he answers "Naw, I’ve been beatin it like its name was Rodney King, and it still ain’t goin down.”
In the song Cop Killer by Body Count, Ice-T says "Fuck the police, for Daryl Gates. Fuck the police, for Rodney King".
In an episode of the Sopranos, Tony asks Dr. Melfi, "why can't we all just get along?," and attributes the quote to "the Reverend Rodney King Jr."

References

^ http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/trials24.htm
^ http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/lapd/white.jpg
^ The National Geographic Channel (US version) program "The Final Report: The L.A. Riots" aired originally on October 4, 2006 10pm EDT, approximately 27 minutes into the hour (including commercial breaks).
^ BBC News "Flashback: Rodney King and the LA riots"
^ Where are they now? "Rodney King's claim to fame"

External links

[1] ttp://jurist.law.pitt.edu/trials24.htm

[2] ttp://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/lapd/white.jpg

[3] The National Geographic Channel (US version) program "The Final Report: The L.A. Riots" aired originally on October 4, 2006 10pm EDT, approximately 27 minutes into the hour (including commercial breaks).

[4] BBC News "Flashback: Rodney King and the LA riots"

[5] Where are they now? "Rodney King's claim to fame"

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Analysis and cultural impact of the event

Recent life

References in popular culture

References

See also

External links