THE+CURRENT+EVENT

=RACIAL VIOLENCE= =Rodney King Beating=

Rodney Glen King, a taxi driver and U.S. citizen was involved in a police beating on March 3, 1991. A California Highway Patrol officer saw him speeding on Interstate 210, but when King wouldn't comply and pull over, they chased him for 8 miles, at speeds higher than 100 miles. When he finally stopped in Lake View Terrace, Rodney King refused to obey the officers' commands. After a short time, the police hit him with a PR24 baton which finally got him to the ground. After refusing the next few verbal commands, a taser was used, but King kept trying to get back up. After this point, Sergeant Stacey Koon told the officers to use their batons to break Rodney King's arms.

However, in the video shot of the assault, the officers were continually beating King while giving him verbal commands. The officers later argued that since he kept trying to get back up, that they were following standard police procedure.

Three officers and a sergeant were "indicted" for ="assault by force likely to produce great bodily injury",= and with ="assault under color of authority."=

The verdict started massive rioting in Los Angeles. The riots lasted three days, which made it ="one of the worst civil disturdances in Los Angeles history."=

After this incident many cop-watch programs were formed nationwide to help prevent future beatings.


 * [[image:http://archives.cnn.com/2001/LAW/03/02/beating.anniversity.king.02/story.king.beating.jpg width="209" height="300" align="left"]] ||

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