Police officers attempt to pull over Rodney King, but he engages them in a high-speed chase instead. When he finally comes to a stop, he is asked to exit the car. Four officers beat him for over a minute, using tasers and batons.
L.A. Riots Anniversary: 8 Infamous Videos
The shocking violence of 1992 played out on televisions across the country. From videotaped beatings to the shocking gunfights in Koreatown, watch the riots’ most searing moments.
Rodney King: ‘Can We All Get Along?’
After a year-long trial, three of the officers involved in the beating of Rodney King were acquitted of their charges. The verdict shocked many and triggered six days of rioting in Los Angeles. With no hope for a resolution in sight, the man behind the controversy came forward in an attempt to ease tensions. Speaking slowly and visibly shaken, King tried to unite Los Angeles with his simple and now famous line “Can we all get long?”
Reginald Denny: Driving into a Mob
On April 29th, Reginald Denny was driving his 18-wheeler through L.A when he landed right in the middle of an angry mob. Without a radio in his truck, Denny was unaware of the volatile riots that the King verdict had sparked, and was attacked as he pulled into an intersection. After being dragged from his truck, Denny was pelted with bricks and beaten within an inch of his life by a crowd of black men. Eventually, a black truck driver watching the attack from his television at home rushed to the intersection to help. Denny survived the attack. His speech and mobility, however, were permanently damaged.
Koreatown: The Right to Bear Arms
Police officers vow to serve and protect. However, the violence in Los Angeles had become so overwhelming that law enforcement was pulled out of select neighborhoods. Koreatown was one of the areas hardest hit by looting, so when the cops bailed, Korean store owners took matters into their own hands. Armed with guns, owners protected their shops, engaging in gun battles with wannabe intruders. Some say the violent confrontations between blacks and Koreans further escalated the already strained relationships between the two groups. Nevertheless, many shop owners say they were simply trying to protect their livelihoods.
Police Chief Daryl Gates: ‘We Were Overwhelmed’
Where were the police? As the city plummeted further and further into chaos, scared citizens and the media questioned local law enforcement’s preparedness. In a nationally televised press conference, Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates explained the reasoning behind their actions and the obstacles facing local police. When challenged by reporters on the apparent delay of intervention, the chief spoke candidly. “All of our extra resources that we deployed,” Gates said. “Were overwhelmed almost immediately.”
Bush: ‘A Tragic Series of Events’
This is probably the last thing he wanted in an election year. On the third day of violence, President Bush addressed the nation in a televised appearance from the Oval Office. After giving an update on the state of the city, Bush laid out his steps for the restoration of order. In addition the deployment of 3,000 national guardsmen, Bush also called in specialized riot control units and other federal law enforcement agencies. “As your president,” Bush said sternly, “I guarantee you, this violence will end.”
L.A Is on Fire
For those who didn’t have guns, arson was the weapon of choice. From overhead, Los Angeles resembled a war zone with several neighborhoods engulfed in flames. Crews tried to contain the blazes, but as the days progressed, the number of fires was simply out of their control. In many cases, firefighters were unable to extinguish fires due to physical attacks from rioters. By the time the violence subsided, the scorched city suffered an estimated $1 billion in damages.
Bill Cosby: A Sweet Spot in the Chaos
Television offers an escape from reality. And on April 30, 1992, reality is the last place anyone wanted to be. The streets of L.A. were under siege with looting, arson, and murder making constant headlines. Enter the Huxtable family. ‘The Cosby Show’ had become a household staple, doing its part to challenge negative stereotypes of the black community. After much debate, KNBC decided to pause their coverage of the destruction and air the finale of the wholesome show. Mayor Tom Bradley supported their choice, urging Angelinos to stay off the streets and stay home to say farewell to the Huxtables.
Arsenio Hall Gets Serious
No time for jokes. Late-night host Arsenio Hall was one of the premier black entertainers in the early 90s. Taking his cue from Reverend Cecil Murray, Hall used his voice during the riots to encourage the black community to end the brutal attacks. “You cannot get peace with violence,” Hall said. “We are not a violent people.”
In His Own Words
Rodney King Remembers
Rodney King’s Legacy
Twenty years after the L.A. riots, the victim at the center of it all talks of wounds that still need healing.
Watch This
9 Infamous L.A. Riots Videos
From videotaped beatings to the gunfights in Koreatown, the riots’ most searing moments.
The Front Page
‘Has Beverly Hills Fallen Yet?’
When the 1992 riots erupted, L.A. Times Editor Shelby Coffey and his team literally jumped into the fray.
LA Riots Backstory: 'Gorillas in the Mist'
The video of Rodney King's brutal beating first aired on local news the night of March 3, 1991. Shocking as it was, its place in history was not guaranteed. Newsweek & The Daily Beast's Kathy O'Hearn was the LA bureau chief for ABC News at the time. She recounts the debate inside the newsroom as the nation's leading TV news organization broke a critically important piece of the Rodney King story.
Reliving History
Timeline of the L.A. Riots
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March 3, 1991
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March 16, 1991
Fifteen-year-old black teenage Latasha Harlins is shot dead by a Korean covenience store owner in Los Angeles who suspected her of shoplifting. The incident, which happened one day after the Rodney King officers pled not guilty, is seen by many as an underreported catalyst of the riots.
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Nov 15, 1991
Soon Ja Du, who shot Latasha Harlins, is found guilty of involuntary manslaughter but avoids prison time.
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April 29, 1992
On the seventh day of jury deliberations, all four officers in the King case are acquitted. Almost immediately, riots start in south central Los Angeles.
At 6:45 p.m., Reginald Denny is beaten nearly to death at the intersection of Florence and Normandie avenues. It's captured on film (via helicopter) by Bob Tur. -
April 30, 1992
President Bush addresses the nation from the Oval Office, saying that "anarchy" will not be tolerated.
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May 1, 1992
Rodney King appears on TV, asking, "People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?"
Meanwhile, the first of 10,000 National Guard troops flood into Los Angeles. -
May 2, 1992
The Justice Dept. announces an inquiry into Rodney King's beating.
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May 3, 1992
Mayor Bradley lifts the curfew he had imposed on L.A., signifying the official end to the six-day riots.
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March 9, 1993
Rodney King testifies in the federal retrial of the LAPD officers. In a later civil case, he is awarded $3.8 million.
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