Where are they now: Rodney King

**Behemoth** · July 13th, 2011, 08:26 AM

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Rodney King, whose videotaped beating by police ultimately led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence on Tuesday, police said.

King was behind the wheel of a 1994 Mitsubishi when he was pulled over in Moreno Valley, in Southern California's Riverside County, the city's police department reported. Officers saw King -- who has acknowledged a longstanding drinking problem -- commit "several traffic violations," a police statement said.

"A preliminary evaluation of the driver indicated he was possibly driving while impaired. The subject was transported to the Moreno Valley Police Department for a further evaluation," police said. He was booked after that further evaluation, they said.

King's 1991 beating by Los Angeles police officers after a traffic stop left him with skull fractures and brain and kidney damage. It was captured on video by a nearby resident, and four officers were indicted as a result.

But their trial the following year led to three acquittals and a mistrial in the predominantly white suburb of Simi Valley, verdicts that set off three days of riots in African-American neighborhoods. By the time it was over, 55 people were dead, more than 2,000 were hurt, and property damage exceeded $1 billion.

Two of the officers were later convicted of federal civil rights charges, and King won $3.8 million in damages from the city in a civil suit.

King was on parole for robbery at the time of the beating and has had several run-ins with the law in the ensuing years. He served a 90-day jail term in 1996 for a hit-and-run involving his wife at the time, and pleaded guilty in 2004 to reckless driving and driving under the influence of a controlled substance.

In March, he was cited for driving without a license after being pulled over in Arcadia, California.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/07/12/...est/index.html

**malq** · July 13th, 2011, 09:57 AM

I have to remind myself that all these pieces of shit that cheated the system and arrogantly got away with their crimes are far and few between. Just because I have emotions that would free my conscious of removing Casey Anthony, OJ, Rodney King and Dr Laura Schlessinger from this earth does not mean the earth is overpopulated with these scumbags. It seems like it sometimes because it gets wildly publicized.

**badfish76** · July 13th, 2011, 10:48 AM

As far Rodney King goes his rights were violated and those cops were shit bags who beat him.

The only reason that his little piss ant crimes are news is because his rights were violated like 20 years ago. I frankly don't blame the city for rioting when dirty ass cops get acquitted for crimes when the tax payers pay their salaries.

**biteme** · July 13th, 2011, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by badfish76

As far Rodney King goes his rights were violated and those cops were shit bags who beat him.

The only reason that his little piss ant crimes are news is because his rights were violated like 20 years ago. I frankly don't blame the city for rioting when dirty ass cops get acquitted for crimes when the tax payers pay their salaries.

Personally feel I was blackmailed, I feel my rights and taxes where violated 20 years ago and it hasn't stopped
He was a big guy and put up a fight, was the force used excessive, not if he wouldn't stay down, he was awarded the money because it was cheaper than rebuilding and over time after the riots
He blackmailed the city and has shown ever since just what a piece of crap he is

**Nell** · July 13th, 2011, 11:36 PM

King was behind the wheel of a 1994 Mitsubishi

A 1994?? That is sad.

**MC30** · July 13th, 2011, 11:39 PM

ya know, i watched rodney king on celebrity rehab and thought he was a nice enough fellow....anywho..i guess he's off the wagon again?

**badfish76** · July 14th, 2011, 12:05 AM

My point is that dirty ass fucking cops SHOULD piss off the People and when we are too lazy or complacent to care then we deserve what we get.

Rodney King is not an isolated case and he is only still being talked about because he had the balls to call the man on his bullshit (which WAS excessive. PROFESSIONAL LE doesn't need to go there) earning him celebrity status.

Otherwise a fucking DUI is NOT exciting true crime news. In 20 years we will all be abuzz about Casey Anthony and her DUIs.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · July 14th, 2011, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by badfish76

Otherwise a fucking DUI is NOT exciting true crime news. In 20 years we will all be abuzz about Casey Anthony and her DUIs.

As long as people are going to treat people as special - for whatever reason - they are news. Just the fact that this thread has drawn more views and comments others - than I view as more newsworthy and commentable - is proof of that. Changing human nature is not in the nature of humans.

**malq** · July 14th, 2011, 01:12 AM

That was very introspective and for the most part, invaluably true.
However, I might point out, that on the heels of the highly emotional Casey Anthony case, there is a parallel which may attract higher than normal hits.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · February 28th, 2012, 05:49 PM

Rodney King, whose videotaped beating by police during a traffic stop eventually led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, made a plea deal Monday to end a Moreno Valley DUI case.

King waived his presence in court for the misdemeanor plea in which he will serve 20 days under monitored house arrest. He also agreed through his attorney to pay a $500 fine, plus other costs.

The plea-bargain was keyed on a blood-alcohol reading from his July 12 arrest that showed King was driving at 0.06, which is below the 0.08 legal limit for being drunk, Riverside County district attorney spokesman John Hall said.

King also had a trace of marijuana in his system, Hall said.

Because of the 0.06 reading, King pleaded to a lesser so-called “wet reckless” driving charge. But as part of the plea deal it will go on his record as a driving under the influence conviction, Hall said.

King also was placed on three years’ summary probation.

A term of completion includes participating in and successfully completing a nine-month program for drinking drivers, Hall said.

Prosecutors dropped the two original DUI charges filed against King in exchange for the plea.

On July 12, Moreno Valley police stopped King on Frederick Street near Moreno Valley Town Center on suspicion of driving erratically.

King said police stopped him driving his 1994 Mitsubishi Eclipse after he changed lanes quickly. He said he was pulled over by undercover officers.

King also said he has a medical marijuana prescription, due in part to injuries he suffered during the incident with police 21 years ago

If he had been convicted on the original charges, King could have faced a year in jail because he has a prior 2003 DUI conviction for the drug PCP in San Bernardino.

http://www.pe.com/local-news/breakin...y-dui-case.ece

**Whisper** · April 25th, 2012, 07:42 PM

Rodney Kings Beating

LOS ANGELES -- We saw his face a bloody, pulpy mess. And in 1992, when the four Los Angeles police officers who beat him after a traffic stop were acquitted, it touched off anger that affected an entire generation. Now, 20 years later, this is the face of Rodney King, and this is what has happened to him in the interim.
[...]
To millions of Americans, though, he will always be either a victim of one of the most horrific cases of police brutality ever videotaped or just a hooligan who didn't stop when police attempted to pull him over.

He's indisputably the black motorist whose beating on a darkened LA street led to one of the worst race riots in American history.

It's been an up-and-down ride for King since he went on television at the height of those riots and pleaded in a quavering voice, "Can we all get along?"

He's been arrested numerous times, mostly for alcohol-related crimes. In a recent interview with The Associated Press he said, "I still sip, I don't get drunk."

He has been to a number of rehab programs, he said, including the 2008 appearance on "Dr. Drew" Pinsky's "Celebrity Rehab" program.

Still, he was arrested again just last year for driving under the influence.

It was his fear of being stopped for drunken driving on March 3, 1991, King said, that initially led him to try to evade police who attempted to pull him over for speeding.

After he did stop, four LA police officers hit him more than 50 times with their batons, kicked him and shot him with stun guns. A man who had quietly stepped outside his home to observe the commotion videotaped most of it and turned a copy over to a local TV station.

After a jury with no black members acquitted the officers on April 29, 1992, the city's black community exploded in rage. Fifty-five people died, more than 2,000 were injured over three days.

King received a $3.8 million settlement from the city, but said he lost most it to bad investments, among them a hip-hop record label he founded that quickly went broke.

He makes money these days taking part in events like celebrity boxing matches. He's also promoting his just-published memoir, "The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption."

A tall, physically imposing man who is disarmingly friendly, self-effacing and soft-spoken, King, 47, maintains he is happy.

"America's been good to me after I paid the price and stayed alive through it all," he says. "This part of my life is the easy part now."

http://www.cbs12.com/news/top-storie.../vid_446.shtml

**princessgrandma** · April 25th, 2012, 07:55 PM

Somehow, sometimes, just surviving doesn't seem enough.

Don't ask me for an itemized list of coulda, woulda, shoulda's, b/c I have my own too numerous to count, but I can't help thinking that somehow, Rodney King could have really made a difference if things had gone differently, or if he himself had gone just a bit differently.

I am glad he survived, though. I really am.

**Whisper** · June 17th, 2012, 11:38 AM

King's beating by police led to 1992 LA riots

ANGELES (CNN) -
Rodney King, whose beating by Los Angeles police in 1991 was caught on camera and sparked riots after the acquittal of the four officers involved, was found dead in his swimming pool Sunday, authorities and his fiancee confirmed. He was 47.

King's beating after a high-speed car chase and its aftermath forever changed Los Angeles, its police department and the dialogue on race in America.

King was 25 and on parole after a robbery conviction in April 1991. In an interview in 2011, he recalled he had been drinking and was headed home from a friend's house when he saw a police car following him and panicked, thinking he would be sent back to prison. So he attempted to flee.

"I had a job to go to that Monday, and I knew I was on parole, and I knew I wasn't supposed to be drinking, and I'm like 'Oh, my God,'" he told CNN.

He realized he couldn't outrun the police, but looked for a public place to stop. "I saw all those apartments over there, so I said, 'I'm gonna stop right there,'" he said. "'If it goes down, somebody will see it.'"

An amateur cameraman caught the scene as four white police officers struck King more than 50 times with their wooden batons and used a stun gun on him.

King said as the officers beat him, they yelled, "We are going to kill you, n***er," although the officers denied using racial slurs.

The video shows King cowering on the ground and attempting to crawl away as he is surrounded by a crowd of police officers. Four of them used their nightsticks to strike him.

King was beaten nearly to death. Three surgeons operated on him for five hours.

The video of the beating appeared on national television two days later, focusing attention on the issue of racially-motivated police brutality.
[...]

Read more: http://www.wtae.com/news/national/Ro...#ixzz1y47ZbQDl

**malq** · June 17th, 2012, 11:51 AM

No sympathy, after what he went through and was awarded, he continued the same behviour that got him in this mess in the first place, right up till he died.

Like Whitney Houston, the toxicology will probably come back as a parolee on probation, packed with so many drugs, he drowned.
I wonder if every blvd in America will be named after him now? He is certain to be martyred and imortalizedm somehow with federal tax dollars..

Rodney King -- the man who was at the center of the infamous Los Angeles riots -- was found dead this morning in Rialito, CA. He was 47.

According to our sources, King's fiancée found him dead at the bottom of a pool.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they responded to a call at 5:25 AM PT. We're told they physically removed King from the pool and attempted CPR.

Our sources say he was pronounced dead at 6:11 AM.

Law enforcement sources say Rialto PD will open a drowning investigation.

http://www.tmz.com/2012/06/17/rodney-king-dead/

**Whisper** · June 17th, 2012, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by malq

No sympathy, after what he went through and was awarded, he continued the same behviour that got him in this mess in the first place, right up till he died.

Like Whitney Houston, the toxicology will probably come back as a parolee on probation, packed with so many drugs, he drowned.
I wonder if every blvd in America will be named after him now? He is certain to be martyred and imortalizedm somehow with federal tax dollars..

http://www.tmz.com/2012/06/17/rodney-king-dead/

Yeah I agree he had a millions chances to turn his life around and did nothing

**Dakota Valkyrie** · June 25th, 2012, 05:21 PM

Rodney King's Family Asks Public to Help Pay for $22K Funeral

Although Rodney King won a $3.8 million settlement following the infamous 1991 LAPD beating, the late 47-year-old leaves behind uncertainty on how he died and a dwindling bank account unable to cover his funeral costs.
[...]

King's funeral costs are expected to run upwards of $22,000, and TMZ reports his family is now asking the public for donations via a memorial fund to help give King a proper burial. His three daughters and other family members are "desperately" trying to secure funding for the funeral, but the family's rep told TMZ, "They need the money." Information on donating to the memorial fund, however, has yet to be released.

King reportedly spent his lawsuit winnings on houses, a construction business and a record label.
[...]

The funeral, which will be open to the public, is slated for June 30 at 2pm at the Hall of Liberty. King's fiancée is not on the guest list. King will be buried later that day at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills.

http://laist.com/2012/06/25/rodney_k...ic_to_help.php

Here's an idea, don't have a funeral that you can't afford.

**Krystal** · June 25th, 2012, 05:29 PM

The amount sounds like an awful lot for a funeral. Can someone help me out, is $22,000 average? My grandfather was in a cardboard box at the funeral home with only family there (about 12 of us) and one arrangement of flowers from all of us so I don't really know what funerals should cost.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · June 25th, 2012, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by Krystal

The amount sounds like an awful lot for a funeral. Can someone help me out, is $22,000 average? My grandfather was in a cardboard box at the funeral home with only family there (about 12 of us) and one arrangement of flowers from all of us so I don't really know what funerals should cost.

King is going to be buried at Forest Lawn. Here's prices for there: http://www.forestlawn.com/Funerals/F...able-LA-OC.asp

Because they are inviting everyone and their dog, they are renting the Hall of Liberty at Forest Lawn: http://www.forestlawn.com/Special-Ev...Of-Liberty.asp

**Krystal** · June 25th, 2012, 05:53 PM

It looks beautiful but damn it is expensive! If you can afford it go for but if you need to beg the public for money then KISS (keep it simple stupid).

**biteme** · June 25th, 2012, 05:54 PM

Guess 3.8 million wasn't a big enough freebie, the family feels they're owed more
wouldn't want them to pay for their own funeral

**sheevaa** · June 25th, 2012, 06:33 PM

How the hell do you go through that much money? I would be set for LIFE with close to 4 million bucks.

**malq** · June 25th, 2012, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

Rodney King's Family Asks Public to Help Pay for $22K Funeralhttp://laist.com/2012/06/25/rodney_k...ic_to_help.php

Here's an idea, don't have a funeral that you can't afford.

Unbelievable!
I should show up. I would stick out like a sore thumb.

**LadyCygnet** · June 26th, 2012, 12:54 PM

Funerals around here typically run about $5000, give or take. I'm not sure if that includes the burial site, though.

**Icy** · August 23rd, 2012, 10:23 PM

Rodney King's Death Ruled Accidental

Rodney King's death was ruled accidental in an autopsy report released Thursday by the San Bernardino County Coroner's Office, which also noted he had marijuana, cocaine and alcohol in his system.

The report summarized the events leading to his June 17 death at age 47 in his backyard pool in Rialto, Calif.

King "was in a state of drug and alcohol induced delirium," according to the coroner's report.

He "either fell or jumped into the swimming pool," the report said. "The effects of the drugs and alcohol, combined with the subject's heart condition, thus incapacitated, was unable to save himself and drowned."

More at link: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012...-accident?lite