Breaking down the LA riots of 1992
I have always had great respect for National Geographic and their latest series called “The Final Report” just underscores that respect. Last night, The Final Report focused on the LA riots of 1992: Who was at fault, the lack of police presence on the street, unseen video footage, etc. Here are some things that either I did not know, or facts I had forgotten over the years:
- Mayor Bradley and the Chief of police were already on bad terms and had not spoken to each other for over a year prior to the riots.
- Similar to Katrina, there were delays with the deployment of troops into the area.
- There was about 13 more seconds of the Rodney King video that most of the public had not seen. This video actually shows him lunging towards police officers.
- Well over 800 buildings in that part of the city were destroyed.
- The riots stretched as far as Long Beach.
- In some areas in LA, someone had spray-painted on certain businesses the words “black-owned” to turn away looters while at the same time Korean shops were targeted.
- Although LAPD on the ground did try to follow the “rule book” for riot situations, many of them felt that the set of instructions were impractical for the situation. So they regrouped at another part of the city to come up with another plan.
There were some other points, but they are not coming to me right now. I think if one was to take the time, one could easily see the parallels between Katrina and the 1992 riots of LA from everything from government response, the media’s obsession to get the story out without all the facts, civilian responsibility and contribution to the situation, etc. Also, let us not forget the politicians that used the LA riots to score political points.
Check your local listings for “The Final Report” on National Geographic.
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October 5th, 2006 at 1:11 pm
So Duane, they that he was “lunging towards police officers”…
do you still think it was acceptable for them to beat if like that?????
Answer me this, do you think that the police profile based on race or no??? and if so, do you think that is alright or not?
October 5th, 2006 at 1:30 pm
As a former police officer (Atlanta’s metro fugitive squad) and a black woman I have this to say. If you are pulled over by the police be still, follow instructions and move slowly. Police officers are on edge they never know if today is the last day that they will be on this earth. They see everybody as a potential violent suspect. Did it call for this man to be beaten, probably not. But add adrenaline, fear, night air, police arrogance, drugs and a crowd and there is no telling what could have happened.
What I always wondered about the riots and any riots is what does it solve to tear down your own community?
October 5th, 2006 at 6:52 pm
I remember the riots very well.
I didn’t live in L.A. but did live in the “Inland Empire” at the time. Fontana to be specific.
I drove to work each night for a week with a borrowed pistol next to me on my truck seat. While the actual riots reached Long Beach as you mentioned, there were activities in other areas as well.
The Blockbuster down the street from my house had all of it’s windows broken out, someone or someones attempted to burn down a Dell Taco… and other similar type incidents.
While walking from a friends house in Colton to a Stater Brothers some days after the riots had ended we came across a group of people having a car wash to raise funds for something or the other.
I was asked if I wanted my car washed, I noted the obvious the person… I was walking not driving. I stood on the corner waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street and all the while was being screamed at… “No Justice, No Peace”.
This because I wouldn’t walk back to my friends house and get my truck to have it washed.
I note this to point out something, while the source of the riots (the Rodney King incident) was blamed on the racism of a white police department against black persons, I experienced (and a few other persons I know experienced similar) low level racism many times over the next year or so.
Here is the fact, racists come in all colors.
That was my lesson from the riots.
I heard and witnessed disgusting demonstrations of racism from both white and black persons during that time and was 100% disgusted by it no matter the color of the bigots skin.
October 5th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
WeeZie,
My point here is that according to King’s account he was just pulled from the car and the police just started beating him. The extra clip just proved him wrong. Now, should they have beat him like that? I think that Saudia (whom I did not know was a former ATL police officer — go’ head girrrl!)explained it best. One interesting point mentioned in this program was that when a person is under the influence, their ability to feel pain is numbed. So if that person is lunging or swinging at you, other than just shooting them, using a billy club and self defense techniques are all an officer has left. Just saying “freeze” or “halt in the name of the law” does not help when a grown man is either intoxicated or under the influence. Like most folks I lean more towards the opinion that these officers did use excessive force. But on the other hand, if someone is constantly getting in your face and swinging at you, there is only but so much backing up you can do.
>>Another story: I don’t know if you remember this or not, but not too long ago there was a Black guy (If I remember correctly he was well over 6 feet tall and over 300 pounds) who was heavily under the influence of drugs causing a disturbance in a parking lot. When the police arrived, the guy started charging this officer (who was a lot smaller than this guy). This guy threw this officer like he was a rag doll. Finially when the other officers arrived they had to subdue this guy by using billy clubs. It didn’t look pretty, but they were able to get the situation under control (I may try to find that video and post it). The guy died later because of a combination of all that energy he exerted in a short amount of time, his weight, and the drugs in his system. Folks tried to make it into a race issue (white officers, black suspect), but the claim lost a lot of steam after all the facts were considered. Do officers cross the line from time to time? You bet. But I think that it is pure ignorance when folks rush to conclusions just because an officer is white and the suspect is Black.
Also keep in mind that since the riots, Rodney King has been accused of threatening to kill both his daughter and her mother. I think he also had at least one DUIs since as well. So while I still believe that police brutality was in play that faithful night, King himself was no stranger to aggressive behavior himself. This is why I think that the officer’s account cannot be completely squashed.
October 8th, 2006 at 3:41 pm
Although I agree with you on some of what you say, it doesnt really matter what kind of person Rodney King is or what because when the officers stopped him, they had no idea that he was this or that. It would have been a completely different story if they were after a known fugative and in the process of apprehending this COLD CRIMINAL, they let go some anger they had for all the crime he had committed…but to stop a random person and than have MANY MANY officers beat him, that was more than trying to calm him down. i understand that the job of a police officer is hard work and stressful but thier is can be no EXCEPTION made when those that are to uphold the law are the ones that BREAK IT in such a horrible way.
Rodney King wasnt Superman so i doubt that you would need that kind of force. two of the officers were charged with giving false reports…i wonder why they would do that???
Can you honestly say that if Rodney King was a white man, he would have gotten the same sort of punishment??? NAH!
October 8th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
Rodney King was not a “random person” as you put it. He had just finished leading police on a long chase through Los Angeles where the lives of other civilians were endangered. There were two other persons that got out of the car with little resistance, but King decided to take the F*** the police route by not complying. Again, you will not get argument from be that completely justifies the following police action, but at the same time given all the other factors of this case, King should have complied with police in the first place–just like the other riders in the car.
As far as your question about if he was white, Perhaps you might be right, but if you have ever watched a few epidsodes of COPS, you’ll see that white folks also get their butt kicked as well–maybe not as bad as King did. Besides, any cop who has had to use their batton will tell you that it is never pretty when trying to subdue an intoxicated individual who wants to kill you.
October 8th, 2006 at 6:01 pm
But Rodney King didnt have a weapon on him. Yes, he acted crazy but that doesnt mean you can club someone that recklessly.
And COPS itself is a RACIST SHOW!