...Case of Rodney King By: Donald Gilliam March 4, 2014 Tim Morris Criminal Law Case of Rodney King: Within today’s society police brutality and racism go hand in hand together, and play a huge part with shaping our society but unfortunately today police brutality is a major concern in the United States. Within many cases, violence is an ongoing battle for millions, and from this stems the many types of violence such as racial discrimination, gang violence and unpredictable outbursts of brutality and from saying that there will always be the cold hard fact that there are some authority figures abusing their power. Cases of police brutality can be traced back to centuries ago, unfortunately when one usually thinks about the given topic, the biggest incident that comes to mind is the Rodney King trial. Since I will be touching on one of the most controversial cases in police brutality it is safe to say that police brutality is still “one of the most serious human violations in the United States. For years the negative use of force used by police officers and local authority has been of a main concern and a large issue throughout our nation” ("LA riots,"). Everything begins when, police officers abuse the use of force that has been given to them, meaning that it has become a growing concern about the abuse of police officers using unnecessary force. And as people have become more educated and aware of what’s taken place, more people have united. People have filed many...
Words: 1956 - Pages: 8
...Phase 4 The period from 1992 to 2000 is one of the most interesting in American History. I will discuss Rodney King and Wal-Mart on that Period of the events listed and discuss the impact that these events had on America. Born on April 2 1965, Rodney King was a significant person in a that period. Although he did not have the character of Rev. Martin Luther King events in his course of life lead a spotlight on police brutality of minorities and still lingering racial tension among the United States Borders. The was not just against Whites vs. Black but it also shed light on African American and Asian American tensions as well. King was a African American Parolee who had been trouble with Alcohol and substance use and abuse for much of his life. He was convicted of violent assault and robbery of a Korean Store before the incident that changed the course of American history. While trying to avoid arrest for DUI and parole violation Rodney King led police officers on a high speed chase for several miles before being stopped on March 3, 1991. This led to the unlawful beating of King by four uniformed officers. George Holliday's videotaped the incidents. Two days later Holliday contacted the police about his videotape of the incident. He then went to the television news with his videotape, which broadcast it in its entirety. The footage became an instant media sensation. It caused many "cop watch" organizations to arise. The officers were charged with criminal...
Words: 855 - Pages: 4
...Why is it acceptable for Police the people who can legally get away with killing you, the people we trust to keep us safe are doing the opposite. One such example is The Rodney King Riots in Los Angles. In some cases violence is the necessary and final option to go too. There are many headline cases but the reality is many will never get reported or if it is there are very few convictions of it. When police attacked, question or harass you because you are a minority is just one sad reality we have to deal with. People are done will this they are getting organized finding solutions to help combat police brutality. One of the most infamous riots in American History the Rodney King riots. Where there was a video released to media sources of...
Words: 709 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 1979 - Pages: 8
...Willie Hurst A: Plan of Investigation To what extent did the trail and riots for Rodney King bring exposure to Police brutality and racial tensions in the United States? On March 3, 1991 Rodney King was involved in a high-speed chase from the police department. Kings car was spotted due to reckless driving along with the high speeds he was traveling along the highway at. After being forced to pull over, King was beaten by the Los Angeles Police Department. King was taken to Pacifica Hospital where he maintained facial fractures along with a broken ankle and many bruises and lacerations along his body. During the beating a local witness filmed the incident and sent the footage to the local news. The tape shows four policemen surrounding...
Words: 1151 - Pages: 5
...Miguel Martinez Rick Wilson AJS 101 1 January 2016 All police officers involved received felonies for the beating of Rodney King. Officer Koon, who his job was to keep his officers in line, received the most charges out of the four. He received assault and intentional great bodily harm charges. He also attemptted a cover up. Officer Koon shot the taser at King and had wires attached while Rodney King was helpless. Officer Powell and Wind faced assault charges. In the video, officer Briseno is seen delivering a stomp to Rodney King’s head. Rodney king suffered a broken cheekbone, one of his eyes was damaged and a concussion. Rodney King did not face any charges. The police reactions were not appropriate. Messages were found on the police officer’s cars. One message said “It was right out of ‘Gorillas in the mist.” After the beating, one officer typed “I haven’t beaten anyone this bad in a long time.” The police started laughing when they called an ambulance over. I feel like they just...
Words: 415 - Pages: 2
...March 3rd, 1991 marked the excessive beating of an African American motorist from the Los Angeles Police Department after leading police forces on a highway speed chase"1. Consequently, this led to the Rodney King trial in which, "an all-white jury acquitted four police officers of all assault charges on April 29, 1992"2. This led to the significant violence of the 1992 Los Angeles riots which erupted as a result to the trials which, lasted six days. Notedly on "May 1, 1992, the third day of the riots Rodney King made his appearance where he attempted to calm down the rioters by stating Can't we all get along"3 a famous quote to this date. The riots evidently raised notoriety towards the lower class socioeconomic conditions and allowed for...
Words: 657 - Pages: 3
...Alan: I would like to hear and talk about your experience about what happen during the riots. As well as, what types of emotions that you felt during that expires? Ana: Out of all things that has happen to me, the Rodney king riots was scariest monument in my life because of all the burning houses, all the violence done to to others, and the robberies done to store all around Los Angeles. It made me fear for my life, for the fact that I was near all the violence that happen in the area and it frighten me because I would of died due to two things. One being the burning houses and buildings that were around area because of all the people throwing flaming Molotov to them, which either cause them to explode due to the gas lines inside or collapse on itself due to the flames. Sometime these buildings and houses would collapse on to the streets making it even more dangerous or the fire would spread to neighboring structure and burn them. Another was the people that were participating in the riots because these people are so absorbed into the violence that is happening that you wouldn't know if they start attacking you or others. Making you think on every action that you do, so you wouldn't attract their attention. Alan: What was most significant thing you saw when this was happening?...
Words: 1310 - Pages: 6
...It was just like any other week day for families all across the nation. The evening news was just starting and could be heard in the background in most houses. However, that night’s broadcast was one that no one saw coming: Rodney King, a 25 year old, African American, male, had been brutally beaten by two Los Angeles police officers, and the entire altercation had been caught on film. Brent Maher, a senior in high school at the time, can recall the impact it had, not only in Los Angeles, but across the nation. Rodney King was an unemployed construction worker who was out on parole after serving time in prison for armed robbery. On March 3, 1991, he was caught speeding down the highway with two other passengers. When his car was finally...
Words: 1779 - Pages: 8
...During the arrest of Rodney King, you can see a couple time that he has gotten up even though the officer tells him to lie down. Although it also shown that he was not resisting, failing to comply to an officer is considered a threat. The officer knows this his third felony so he will be going for life in prison; in Los Angeles, the officer needs to more than ever to be identified as authority. Although prisoner for life seems like enough punishment, he still be around people and officer to commit potential crimes, meaning that discipline is still needed. Also, even if he was under the influences, he still remember the beating that happen when taking it to court, which is proof that disciple work; whether the amount of hits taken was justified...
Words: 395 - Pages: 2
...Rodney King Riots in L.A. My topic is over Rodney King and the riots that transpired because of the verdict that was handed down in his case. He was a 34 year old African American man and is very well known by millions of people in our American history. On March 3, 1991 he was on a high speed police chase going speeds estimated at 115 miles per hour and that is what started the whole sequence of events. He was essentially pulled from his car after being apprehended, beaten by four white police officers as another sixteen policemen on the scene watched. Rodney King was on a high speed chase with police and one of them was named Stacey Koon. When they finally got King pulled over he got out of his car aggressively. Police thought he could be...
Words: 749 - Pages: 3
...1. Celcil Foster’s thesis was to show that racism is still alive and well, and it often goes un-noticed. He mentions the Rodney King verdict, and how it triggered the worst outbreak of violence since the Watts riots of 1965. The Rodney King riot started because Rodney King, an African American, was badly beaten by some officers of the Los Angeles Police Department. Rodney soon became a focal point showing how bad racial issues are. The public got angry about police brutality and racism, and some went around starting fires, damaging and breaking into businesses and stealing merchandise. This caused many riots across the United States, and even one in Toronto, Ontario. 2. The first example Foster gives is when he visited Canada during the Montreal...
Words: 464 - Pages: 2
...Considering the key concept we discussed in the class the answer to Rodney King’s question: “Can’t we all just get along?” is we can’t just get along because there are factors that separate us and those factors play a great role on how we perceive ourselves, others, and our situation, and our interaction with others. Last week I did an initial assessment of a client who is homeless and currently living in the transitional house. The client had a set of twins about a year ago. The twins were premature and needed to remain in the hospital for care. When they were one month old, one of them died. Since the client did not have money to arrange the funeral for her son immediately, the funeral home left the body of her son to rot. The client believes...
Words: 1763 - Pages: 8
...historical events that have impacted policing in the United States as it relates to different ethnic groups and social classes’ one can’t help but think about the infamous Rodney King beating. The Rodney King beating was a critical period in United States history. On March 3, 1991 following a high speed chase through a rough area of Los Angeles California five Los Angeles Police Officers brutally beat King in the middle of a roadway offering no mercy as he lay in the fetal position soaking up each hit that was delivered from the varies officers. From a nearby balcony a witness caught the beating of King. Whether or not Mr. King resisted the officers following the chase- the violence that followed was most certainly unwarranted. Many officers also stood near where the brutality was taking place, but offered no assisted to King- this footage was aired on national television. The outrage of the public was enough to begin a second riot all of its own. With tension between the Los Angeles Police Departments and African Americas already high in the area, this situation offered no mercy from either party. In 1992 Los Angeles police officers- Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno and Stacey Koon where all charged by Los Angeles County with criminal offenses, including assault with a deadly weapon (Rodney King, 2012). The officers was set to take place in Los Angeles county, but it was argued by the defense attorneys that a fair trial would not be possible because the amount of...
Words: 732 - Pages: 3
...The 1991 beating of Rodney King highlights abuse as one of the most pressing civil rights issues in the United States. It demonstrates that racism is still very real and that people continue to be treated based on the color of their skin. It was one of "the most visible uses of force by police in this country’s history" and put the issue of police brutality on the national agenda (Mydans 1). The King beating set off a chain of events that enflamed racial, ethnic, and social tensions in Los Angeles. It caused six days of riots and rebellion, calls for structural reforms of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. It also caused the resignations of the mayor of Los Angeles, the chief of police, and the Los Angeles County district attorney. This event shows how one officers actions can effect how police officers and police mangers are see by the public. This Civil liability is something that all police mangers will have to deal with at some point in their career weather it be a real case or someone putting a false case in. On March 3, 1991, Rodney King was driving a car in Los Angeles, California, with a passenger, Bryant Allen in the back seat. When King was signaled by police car behind him, but he did not stop, and increased his speed. One estimate stated that King drove one hundred miles per hour for about eight miles, while being chased by police officer Melanie Singer of the California Highway Patrol. When King finally pulled over...
Words: 1428 - Pages: 6
