officers - The Black Vault

F~350 (Rev. 5·8·81)
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(Mount Clipping in Space Below)
Next for injured King:.
Book, movie, lawsuit
By Steve Marshall
USA TODAY
Rodney King, 26, sustained nearly
a dozen head fractures when he was
beaten on March 3, 1991, by Los Angeles
Police Department omcers.
In describing his beating to district
attorney's investigators, the ex-convict
turned construction worker said
the 1irst blow "was a real hard kick
from the boot It was enough to make
me feel my jawbone move. My face
got rearranged."
An eye socket and cheekbone
were shattered; he had a concussion,
knee injuries and nerve damage that
left his. face partly paralyzed.
. Married with two young children,
King moved to a secluded Los Angeles
apartment after the incident and
almost never went out He left his
brother's wedding early last year because
of headaches.
King has signed a book and movie
contract about his ordeal.
Pending: a lawsuit against the city.
In his only public statement -
three days after the videotaped beat·
ing - King said, "I was scared for
my life. So I laid down real calmly
and took it like a man."
He was described by friends and
relatives as quiet and gentle.
King had run-ins with authorities
before and after his famous beating.
He pleaded guilty in November,
1989, to robbing a grocery store of
$200 while armed with a tire iron.
King was paroled Dec. 27, 1990,
and got a construction job. ''You
KING: Suffered nearly a dozen
fractures in March 1991 beating by
Los Angeles police officers
could set your watch by his timeli-'
ness," said Scott Dalgleish, his boss.
"I told him when he gets well to call
us. I'd take him back in a minute."
In May 1991, after the beating.
sheriff's deputies pulled him over because
of expired car registration and
later that month, undercover vice officers
arrested him with a male prostitute
dressed as a woman.
I
•(Indicate page, name of
newspaper, city and state.)
USA 'IDDAY
ARLING'IDN, VA
Date: 'IHURS., 4/30/92
Edition: FRONT SECTION, PAGE 2
Tille:
NEXT FOR INJURED KING:
BOOK, M:>VIE, lAWSUIT
Chlncter: 44Aor
C~: 80-33B
Submitting Office:
LOS ANGELES
MAY 0 4 1992
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FBI/OOJ