Travon Felton April 9, 2017 Professor Calebotta English 1A Essay 4 Prompt 11 The Rodney King Riots was one of the biggest talked about event in U.S history. This riot started when a man named Rodney King was pull over and was severely beaten by several police officers. Someone recorded a video of that incident and it was broadcasted worldwide.
History March 3, 1991, Rodney King is beat over 50 times by members of the Los Angeles Police Department. In retaliation, riots broke out across Los Angeles. Cars and stores were looted and torched during these violent riots. This was a terrible time to be living in the areas involved with the riots, especially for families and children. Undoubtedly, the riots left scars on all the people involved.
The Los Angeles riots in 1992 were fueled by more than just a single incident, but by a series of actions and abuse over the course of several years that forced a community to make their anger and resentment known. The ruthless beating of Rodney King along with the acquittal of the four police involved may have been the boiling point that tipped the scales. What many are not aware of is that the community of South Central Los Angeles endured years of economic oppression creating tension and frustration. Along with years of police brutality and abuse of power that finally came to a head produced what is known today as the Los Angeles Riots. The riots finally showed the nation just how fed up people were with the social injustices they endured
Rodney king, born in Sacramento, California in 1965 and grew up to be known as a polite yet not very intelligent child and teenager. King was a high school dropout and a single father with a history of criminal activity. Rodney King was most famously known for his court battle against L.A.P.D. officers Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Ted Briseno, and Timothy Wind . On March 3, 1991 two crimes occurred involving King, one of which he was the offender and the other where he was the victim. On this Saturday night at 12:50 am Rodney king was driving his white Hyundai under the influence of alcohol along with his two fiends Freddie Helms and Bryant Allen.
Los Angeles experienced a very similar situation to Ferguson. When four Los Angeles police officers that had been videotaped beating an unarmed African-American driver were acquitted of any offense in the arrest, anger and protest swiftly turned to violence, as “rioters in south-central Los Angeles blocked freeway traffic and beat motorists, wrecked and looted numerous downtown stores and buildings, and set more than 100 fires” (This Day in History, April). The video of Rodney King’s being beaten was constantly broadcasted on television, fueling anger over what was interpreted as a pattern of hostility and abuse by the Los Angeles police toward Africa-Americans and Hispanics. Peaceful protests, civil disobedience, and demonstrations are common ways to express non acceptance of something that has been done or a law that is not acceptable. However, riots are unlawful and violent acts that do not accomplish anything positive.
King. America learned at this time that there is a problem with excessive force being used in American policing (“5 Ways the Rodney King Beating and LA Riots Changed America”). After America saw the police drag Rodney out of his vehicle, put him on the ground face first, and beat on him excessively, many Americans felt that the police were using their power in wrong ways. Because of this, changes in the way police are hired and a focus on police relationships with the communities they serve happened. It also brought on many discussions of how juries are made up and where trials take place.
The trial involved lingering racial tensions in America which seperated many Americans. The trial ultimately led to the riots of L.A. and the total destruction of the city. The riots lasted for days and resulted in thousands of dollars and even lives lost. These riots were so big that the United States National guard had to be called in order to calm down the people of Los Angeles. the King trial shows the evolution of an era that shuns what happens behind closed doors to an era which shows the harsh reality of police brutality with new means of communication and the growth of technology with the smartphone and videotaping.
Cynthia Desantiago Professor Zapata English 1A 25 November 2014 Underlying Causes of the 1992 LA Riots The 1992 Los Angeles riots were not just about the beating of Rodney King, they were also about more significant issues of economic and social oppression that had existed for years. The riots were sparked by the police beating of Rodney King, a construction worker, who had past convictions for assault, battery and robbery. The California Highway Patrol attempted to begin a traffic stop, a pursuit later ensued after he failed to stop.
Rodney King Riots Protest Movement Paper On April 29, 1992, A week of non stop urban violence and mayhem erupted in the streets and cities of Los Angeles, the riots were commenced by the unjust trial that let the four white police officers set free of any charges. All four officers were captured on videotape beating on a black motorist named, Rodney King after a traffic stop gone wild. The Rodney King riots impacted society greatly by presenting the nations people with an understanding of how racism was still present in america. A reminder that "justice for all" was still a long way off being set in stone and to followed by most people.
The police department of Los Angeles slogan is, “to protect and to serve.” To protect and to serve as in providing safety and assistance. As of November 29, 2015, 1,077 citizens have been killed by a United States’ police. That is equivalent to at least one death every eight hours. Do you feel protected?
Police practicing public execution is a clear infringement upon the constitutional rights which is why I have chosen this article. The title of this article “police brutality may be overwhelmingly legal but it 's far from being ethical or just”. I have chosen this article not only with its connection to Dr. Martian Luther King Jr. but it is a growing epidemic in today 's society. While it is legal for an officer to use force to “protect and serve” the right to take ones life is not ethical.
Para 1.) “After police shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old. The fatal gunshots, fired by a white police officer, Darren Wilson, on 9 August 2014, were followed by bursts of anger, in the form of protests and riots. Hundreds and then thousands, of local residents, had flooded the streets. The killing of Michael Brown created a new generation of black activists, with thousands taking to the streets, and a hashtag used more than 27m times.
On April 22, 1992, three guilty criminals walked away innocent after committing heinous acts of aggression and assault. They were not punished after brutally beating an African American citizen after a meer traffic stop. This brutal act of racial profiling was forgiven in the name of systemic bias and societal attitudes towards racism and similar issues. The date in question is the day that the verdict of the Rodney King trial was released by the jury. The trial involved Rodney G. King a taxi driver who was pulled over for a traffic violation.
Police brutality is when a police officer uses any type of force on someone that exceeds the necessary amount to accomplish a lawful police purpose. The force doesn’t have to just be physical, it can also be physiological harm through intimidation tactics. So in simpler terms, police brutality is when a police officer uses more force then what they should use to stop a person or animal. There is some ways that we can help prevent police brutality, one of the ways we can help prevent it is by giving police better training in a nonviolent way. This is especially important when dealing with violent animals.
Brianna Marquez English III - 5th period May 22, 2018 Being bad & getting exposed Police brutality and the system being corrupt has always been an issue in America, but lately it’s been brought up more and more in the media. The system hasn 't always revealed the full truth about stories, but now with technology it has become a concern that the police are covering up things that we should know. Recently there have been more protests and riots about officers not doing their jobs and they are going out of there way to hurt victims.
