On April 29, 1992, a jury in the Los Angeles suburb of Simi Valley acquits four police officers who had been charged with using excessive force in arresting black motorist Rodney King a year earlier. The announcement of the verdict, which enraged the black community, prompted the L.A. riots, which spread quickly throughout much of the sprawling city. It wasn’t until three days later that the arson and looting finally ended.
Immediately after the verdict was announced that afternoon, protestors took to the streets, engaging in random acts of violence. At the corner of Florence and Normandie streets, Reginald Denny, a white truck driver, was dragged from his truck and severely beaten by several angry rioters. A helicopter crew caught the incident on camera and broadcast it live on local television. Continue reading from The History Channel
Los Angeles Riots of 1992 (Encyclopedia Britannica)
The Legacy of Rodney King (PBS Frontline)
When LA Erupted In Anger: A Look Back At The Rodney King Riots (NPR)
Riots Erupt in Los Angeles (The History Channel)
Rodney King’s Daughter Fights to Keep his Memory Alive (The LA Times)