Sometimes the world is crazier than other times. Just this summer, from August 6-10, the streets of London and other cities across England were aflame with widespread rioting, looting and arson. Although not the same, almost 20 years ago America experienced its own taste of anarchy and chaos. At first, it seemed like just another example of crime in a city rampant with corruption and violence: a young African-American was arrested by officers. Then a videotape surfaced of the officers brutally beating the arrested man, sparking a string of events which eventually led to riots on a scale hardly ever seen before in this country. Mobs angrily demanded justice, and when a mostly white jury acquitted the four police The Los officers, rioting erupted with racial tensions spiraling out of control – so much so that the military had to be brought in to restore peace. In the interim, white merchants and storekeepers were not going to wait idly for the law to protect Angeles them from the violence. They took matters into their own hands… Riots April 1992: Conflict in

- Aryeh Cohen

112 | ZMAN • October 2011 ZMAN • Tishrei 5772 | 113 Bernardino policeman, lived nearby. If he could only get to his house, he would hopefully be safe. Desperately, he looked alive!”King (The said policemenlater that he later thought denied his thatlife he evening of March 3, 1991, was a around for the nearest exit. He decided to wasthey ashad good threatened as over. Into desperation,kill him.) he got balmy one in Los Angeles. The chill take exit 6-B which leads to Paxton Street. to his feet holding his hands up high in the Tof winter seemed to be a thing of the air, showing that he had no intentions of past as spring was making her tentative with no police cars on his trail, he breathed a resisting or hurting them. He didn’t even approach. People strolled leisurely on the sighWhen of herelief. found However, himself when safely he reached off the exitthe realize at the time that his foot had been streets, enjoying the mild weather, browsing broken. in shops and chatting with friends. of a helicopter overhead and was blinded by The policemen’s reaction was swift One African-American man seemed to thenext beam traffic of light, powerful he suddenly searchlights. heard the roar and brutal. King was severely beaten and be in a particularly jovial mood. He had just King broke out in a cold sweat and sustained serious wounds all over his received a phone call from a construction his heart pounded wildly in his chest. To body. He was also treated to repeated him, the LAPD was a thoroughly corrupt, shocks with a Taser gun. The entire When King arrived at the next traffic light, a police helicopter that he would get his job back, and he could aggressive, trigger-happy bunch. He had episode lasted about 15 minutes. suddenly appeared above him, beaming powerful search lights that lit up the entire area. reportfirm he for had work once early worked next forMonday informing morning. him no illusions about the kind of treatment he An ambulance arrived and King was The young man’s name was Rodney King. would be accorded for trying to escape. rushed to the hospital in critical condition. King invited two of his good friends At that moment, Rodney King made His breathing was labored and his throat to celebrate this happy occasion and the a fateful decision, one that would have clogged with his own blood. He arrived group of three then set out in King’s white at the hospital with 11 broken bones and Honda to a mutual friend’s house where they street lined with houses on both sides, he serious wounds all over his body. Some partied until midnight. At about 12:30 AM, decidedcolossal toramifications. stop then and Finding there –himself in the veryon a bones had been literally crushed by the King was driving home, speeding 110 miles center of the street, dejectedly musing that blows he had received. an hour on a freeway in the San Fernando if something bad happened to him, at least He was quickly transferred to the Valley area of Los Angeles. Before long, a maybe someone from inside one of those trauma center in the hospital. It took houses would be likely to witness it. work to stabilize his condition. Doctors policeKing officer decided tried not to interceptto comply. him Instead, and with he three doctors and five hours of non-stop attemptedflashing lights to escape.signaled Soonfor King a multitude to pull over. of expressed surprise that he had even police cars were chasing the small white No sooner had King stopped his car than survivedwere shocked the attack. and horrified. One of them sedan. The wild chase continued for almost eight miles within the city of Los Angeles, two friends who were in the car with him relief to be alive was quickly replaced by A heavily shielded truck of the Los Angeles Police Department. clearly placing many lives in danger. werehe was promptly surrounded arrested by police without officers. incident. King’s an abysmalWhen King depression. came out ofHe his feared sedation, that hishe The reason for Rodney King’s doomed But King was in for an experience of a would remain severely incapacitated for attempt at escape was, as he later admitted, different sort. the rest of his life. He was also consumed his fear that his criminal record would be “Back away from your car and pick up by rage that someone could be subjected used against him. He had served some time your hands!” a policeman snarled. King to such brutal treatment. This was the 20th in jail on burglary charges and was now promptly obeyed. “Lie down on the ground, century, in the land of the free, the home out on parole. He was well aware that for a hands and feet spread wide apart!” barked of the brave, wasn’t it? How he wished he parolee even a minor crime was enough to could publicize his version of the story. land him back in jail. He also had had a few was told. However, he raised his head slightly, But he knew that there was no one who drinks and the last thing he wanted was to tryinganother to officer.see what Once would again happen King next. did as he be apprehended for DUI. Moreover, this was “Keep your head down!” an irate Or so he thought. Saturday night, which meant that if he was command rang out. could ever confirm his side of the story. arrested, he would be held over the weekend King obeyed yet once again. Suddenly, An LAPD armed vehicle being used in a raid. and certainly not be out by Monday morning he felt an excruciating pain. A police baton The Eye that Saw… in time to start working at the job he was so had landed full force on his head. King later Rodney King would not have felt so attack occurred. And he happened to own a eager to have back. recounted how the policemen had beaten hopeless had he been aware of the actions of camcorder... which he frequently used. Suddenly, an idea formed in his head. him, cursing and shouting racial epithets a certain George Holliday. Holliday lived in a Holliday, a white man, was woken up His father-in-law, who was a retired San and saying, “You’re not getting outa here house a few feet away from where the brutal from a deep slumber that night by a loud

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