officers - The Black Vault

F0·350 (Rev. 5·8·8 1)
dlcate page, name of
newspaper, city and state.)
-------------------~(M~o~u~nt~C~Ii~pp~in~~g~in~Sp~a~ce~B~e~~~w~)----------------~~
~ Date: LOS ANGELES TIMES
Edition: SAT. 1
MAR 3 0 1
1991
Front Section, Page 1
/Officers Claimed
Self· Defense in··.;
Beati~g of King-
By RICHARD A. SERRANO
TIMES STAFF WI! ITER
·The two Los Angeles police
officers seen on a videotape ~epeatedly
beating Rodney G. Kmg
wrote in their-original arrest rep?rt
that they used their batons only to
defend themselves against ~in~
and just struck him "several ~1m:es
in the arm and leg areas to mea-
.· pacitate him." .
The officers also claimed that Bfl
·hour aftet the beating. King ber.Mt.erward, LAPD officers sa1 the /ground and I [Powell] ap-
:.~aey •.believed he was under the pro~ched llim to handcuff him.
influence of PCP because of his : De ndant then started to raise up
M~~tic. behavior in the moments an 1 placed my knee on his back to
·;}mfqr.e;the beating began. But labo- pr vent this movement. Defendant
·.q:W.or;',· tests showed t.hat while c tb:lued to try and rise up, caus-
~ng· was legally drunk and had '":die to lose my balance and fall
~e 'lraces of marijuana in his ·~~~ng]. Defendant started to
'ISf$tem, he had not ingested PCP.
.,~and charge towards me.
In their arrest report, Powell and
' 'tS!icked away and Sgt. [Stacey
·~a" first describe joining the
· ·• n fired ·a Taser at defend-
~:.gH(~~has~ of King .and _his two ·~·Jlrlking him in the back and
. ~~~ogers: They saJ.d King was temporarily halting defend!ffit's at-
.1.gf,jy,'~pg a 1988 !1yundai Excel ~~ tack."
·:~gds at 110 to llq m:p.h., The Powell-Wind report stated
'l'ft~ough authorities now dispute th~t Koon shot King only once
·r~Snrt>the car was going that fast..
with the Taser electric stun gun.
J'l9'.0nee the car was pulled over, But Koon's daily report and other
~~e!two officers said, King's two evidence· show that Koon shot
!~ssengers got out on the passen- King twice with the Taser.
'ler Side and King stepped out the . "Defendant recovered almost
··Wfv.&'s dOQr only after repeated
~immediately [from the Taser shot]
1':c&~Hnands 0 to do so.
: and resumed his hostile charge in
' qD~fendant [King] exited his ve- · our direction," the arrest report
.. h}gw,; .. then got back in and then : went on .. "Officer Wind and I drew
:.)~j.gd. again," Powell andf Wind our batons to defend against desaid
in their report. ·~ne endant fendant's ~ttack and struck· him
failed t.Q put his hands on his head, several times in the arm and leg
~ instead putting his left hand in his ..m:.ea.s.Y> incapacitate him.
r pantS pocket and placing his right .
; bandon the roof of his car. \..N/1-iA ~ llq'tSI-f • 1) _ ~~
FBI/DOJ