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Rodney King Research Paper

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Imagine your city under rage and disturbance created by one single incident that ignites an angry spark in thousands of people to get justice. One of the worst riot in United States History was the Los Angeles Riots that was triggered by the beating of Rodney King by four Los Angeles Police Department officers. Rodney King is a symbol of mistreatment of African Americans throughout the justice system. Rodney King was undeserving of the mistreatment that he endured. March 3, 1991 was a day that we would all remember. Rodney Glen King III was an African American construction worker who became nationally known after being beaten by Los Angeles Police officers. On March 3, 1991 Rodney King and two of his friends named Bryant Allen and Freddie …show more content…
By this point, many police cars and a police helicopter had joined the pursuit. After approximately eight miles, officers cornered King in his car at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Osborne Street The first five LAPD officers to arrive at the scene were Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno, and Rolando Solano. An officer named Tim Singer ordered King and his two passengers to exit the vehicle and lie face down on the ground. Bryant Allen was the first passenger to exit the vehicle and he was manhandled, kicked, stomped, taunted and threatened. Freddie Helms was second to exit the car and he was hit in the head and spit on while lying on the …show more content…
She then drew her pistol and pointed it at King, ordering him to lie on the ground. Singer approached, gun drawn, preparing to effect an arrest. At that point LAPD Sergeant Stacey Koon, the ranking officer at the scene, told Singer that LAPD was taking tactical command of the situation. He ordered all officers to holster their weapons. LAPD officers are taught not to approach a suspect with a gun drawn, as there is a risk that a suspect may gain control of it if an officer gets too close. “Koon then ordered the four other LAPD officers at the scene: Briseno, Powell, Solano, and Wind to handcuff King using a technique called a "swarm." This involves multiple officers grabbing a suspect with empty hands, in order to quickly overcome potential resistance.” As four officers attempted to restrain King, he resisted, and stood up to remove Officers Powell and Briseno from his

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