The Los Angeles riots of 1992 - Term Paper Example

The riots that expressed the anger of the civilian population after a jury acquitted four Los Angeles Police Department officers of assault and use of excessive force, began on April 29th 1992 in South Los Angeles then spread out into other areas of the Los Angeles metropolitan area of California. In the hours and days that followed the verdict, thousands of people joined and participated in the riots (King & Spagnola, 2012). Rodney King and two other passengers, on March 3rd 1991, were driving through the Lake View Terrace neighborhood of Los Angeles westwards on the Foothill Freeway (I-120) when the Californian Highway Patrol (CHP) attempted to initiate a traffic stop.

King, who was the driver, refused to oblige and what ensued was a dangerous high-speed pursuit (with speeds as high as 115 mph) initially over freeways then into crowded residential neighborhoods. After a lengthy chase, King finally came to a stop. An arrest of King and the two other occupants was ordered by CHP officer Timothy Singer and his wife, CHP officer Melanie Singer. The other two passengers who rode with King complied and were placed in a patrol vehicle. However, King was not so co-operative.

Five white Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers, namely Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno and Rolando Solano, attempted to subdue the stubborn King (Cannon, 1997). However, in their attempts, the officers deviated from the usual protocol which involve tackling and cuffing of a suspect but rather tasered King, kicked him in the head and assaulted him with PR-24 batons for more than a minute then finally tackled and cuffed him. In their defense, the officers claimed that King, at the time of the incident was under drug (PCP) influence which resulted in him exhibiting aggressive and violent tendencies towards the law enforcers.