officers - The Black Vault

'!'
Principals: A motorist and five blows to the head and
1
four officers.
neck. Computer messages··
RODNEY G. KING, 25, an
from his squad car \ncluded
1 unemployed, construe- INITIAL REPORTS CONTRADICTORY LATER REPORTS one that said, "I haven't
. tiort worker from Altadena, r • • ' beaten anyone this bad in a
nn parole after serving a 1 LAPD offi9ers wrote in their police reports that It · 1 A video shows; King' being struck more than 50 long time." He later submit-.
one~ year sentence for armed .. · was necessary to subdue King with ''several baton . times with batons. Other witnesses offer differing ted a report saying that King
robbery. Pulled over by po· strikes" and two shots from a Taser gun because.he · accounts, but a CHP officer at the scene reports she had. suffered oQly "contulice
on March 3 after- allegR "attacked officers" a~~!esisted a~rest. I ''didn't see any neeq to hit him with a baton." sions and · abrasi'
edly leading them on a high~ I Charged with assault
I speed chase that ended in ., I Initial law enforcement accounts depict a il Tapes of CHP. an~ police radio conversations· make deadly weapQn., unnecessari.
Lake View Terrace. Suffered .high.speed pursuit of King's white Hyundai reaching· no mention offreeway speed, but say King's car was ly beating a suspect under
numerous injuries in subse- 110 to 115·m.p.h. along the Foothill Freeway. and 80 clocked at 65 m.p.h. on surface streets. Hyundai · color of authority and filing a .
. quent . videotaped beating,· m.p.h. on surface streets in Lake View Terrace. officials say t~at the model can't top 100 m.p.h. false police report. Maximum:
b
includlinlgb frkactubred chteethk: · il Officers say they suspect that King was high on. I Tests show no traces of PCP, but indicate that King sentence if convicted:' seven·
one, · ro en ones a e , years, eight months.
base of his skull, and a. PCP, a drug th?t ca~.produce bizarre behavior. was legally drun~ at.the time oft~e incident..
broken leg. Held for three '.· 4 OFFICER TIMOTHY'.
, days at the Los .Angeles I The LAPD says. there Were· 15 officers on the . ILAAPtD.l,east 27 ~fficers ·~ere present,· 21. from the WIND, 30, Powell's part~.
'County Jail before being re· scene. · . ,. . I • • • I net and a rookie probationer.: ·
leased; prosecutors later an· · · ... · Came to the LAPD after:
nounce that no charges will . . ~ . . . . eight years on a 54-member:
be filed against him. His attorney says ·he is contemplating a $56 million lawsuit-$1 force in·a subtiro of Kansas City, Kan. ~lso·showh oh the videotape striking King with·
million for each blow he received. Secluded·since his lone public appearance, in which his baton. Joins 'Poweil in submitting a reportthat understates King's injuries. Charged·
he said: "I was scared for my life. So I laid down real calmly and took it lik~ a man." .. with assault with a. dea~ly weapon and unnecessarily beating a suspect under.. color of
2
I
SGT. STACEY .c. KOON, 40, a 14-year LAPD veteran. Twice fired 50,000· volt. authority. Maximum sentence if convicted: seven: years. . ·
electronic darts from his Taser stun gun at King: Apparently tried at one point to '. · .. . · . ,. I • •
stop the beating. Later wrote in his daily report that King's injuries ·were "of a minor .' · , · · · · .· . · ·. . . ·. . :
nature," but·Called beating "a b~ time use of force" in a computer message. Charged 5 ~F~CE.R TED BRIS~N?, .as,.~ mne-year ve~an. Sho~ 10 the VIde~:
with a~sa~l~ ~ith a deadly ~eapon, unnecessar~ly beating a suspect under cblor of ktckmg Kmg once. ~as dtsctplmed f.or. use of ~xcess1v~ for~e m 1987, wh~n ~. ):
authortty, fthng a false pohce report and actmg as an accessory in an alleged suspended for 66 days wtthout pay for htttmg a suspect wtth hts baton and ktckm e. I
"cover-up." Maximum sentence if convicted: seven years, eight months.
man while he was handcuffed. Vowed at the time not to let it happen again. Charged In:
OFFIC~R LAURENCE M. POWELL, 28, a three-year veteran. Shown on videotape the King case with assault with a deadly weapon and .unnecessarily beating a suspect:
kicking King and clubbing, him repeatedly with his nightstick, including at least under color of authority. Maximum sentence if convicted: four years. ·
3
, I
. '
' ,