officers - The Black Vault

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was going to be my fmal effort,"
'Gates said.
'Using some of my ideas'
"I didn't think it was going to
take too long to do that. I know
we have a governor who was
willing to because he was already
using some of my ideas in
his approach to things."
Gates said he "had no idea
that something. like this would
come along and ch~ge things
so dramatically."
Gates attributed the seemingly
unending furor over the ·
beating to a combination of the
repeated airing of the videotape
that showed policemen striking
King more than 56 times and
surprise that the incident involved
officers from the LAPD,
which was considered by many
a "model department."
"I don't think anyone in the
world expected that it could
happen in LAPD and I think
their shock was enormous,"
Gates said. "I was horribly
shocked that it was happening,
but the fact that my officers
were doing it, I still don't believe
that.
"lt is just almost I can't believe
it and that is why I came
up with that aberration (state-
. ment). I wish I had chosen ano.ther
word, but I don't think it
would have made any difference.
If I had chosen another
word, they would have jusf.
jumped on whatever word l
used."
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