officers - The Black Vault

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USA TODAY
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Feds indict 4
L.A._cops
By Haya El Nasser
and Jonathan T. Lovitt
. USATODAY
LOS ANGELES - The four
police officers acquitted of
beating Rodney King must sur- i
render. today to face federal ·
civil rights charges. .
The indictments, handed
I
İ
down late Tuesday and un- .
. sealed Wednesday, charge offi- '
cers Laurence Powell, Timothy
Wind and Theodore, .
Briseno with aiding and abet· .
ting the kicking and baton beat- .
ing of King, a black motorist. ·:
Th~ourth officer, .Sgt Sta-.'
. cey Koon, faces charges of {ailing
to prevent the assault by of- .
fleers under his command~
~ignment is set for Monday:
"Civil- rights cases -are .not
I
1 easy.cases," says u.s. Attorney !
Lourdes Baird. ·~BQt .the government
h.?S a good record,"
Federal prosecutonnvjlLnot
argue the beating by four white ,
cops·was racially motivated .. · .'
The foun are charged·with.
violating basic rights.of all ,c,lti-.
zens to be free of unr~omibl.e':
assault by police, Baird say~. · · '
"I think race played a big '
part," says State Sen. Diane·
Watson. "I'm just praying for
justice this time. I "fear if justice ·
is not carried out,. the situation
will get worse.'~
The April 29 acquittal of the
four on all but one state criminal
charge triggered the USA's
worst rioting. The furor was intensified
because the trial had
been moved to predominantly.
white Simi Valley. :
"I don't believ~ a change of
venue is supported at all" in
this case, Baird says, because
the federal district picks jurors·
from seven countieS. ,
Baird says the three-month
·secret grand jury. inv~gation
is continuing and. more indict- I
ments may b~ handed down. ,
. Other reaction: . ; · . . ~eo~
. ..,. Former L4 police cbiet
-Daryl·Gates, pr~ured. intQxi!;;
·.si~ing beqws~.9f th~ M~h ~:
, 1991 King· beating; ~ls· the· in; •
dictments "overkill!' : .. ~ ,.~
..,.. "I'm extremely pleased··
. that the federal goveJ11IIlent is;:
; pursu!ng the q15e," .s.aY!I·Ki.pg's:
·lawyer Robert.Nemb.a~er-,~.;·, ·:. ·•
. ..,. "I'm thrilled,"· :sa~, :state:
NAACP bead Jose 'De :Sosa
"It's only the fai~ thing· tO 9 •.
.King's rights were viol~t~d/'. . :
. The four face up to.lO.Y~."
in prison an~ a $250,000. fine, ~-~
o.te:THURS. , 8-6-9 2
Edition: F R 0 NT PAGE
Tltle:FEDS INDICT 4 L.A. COPS
a..cter: 80-33B
01
Clssalficatlon:
Submlt1ing Office:
l.DS AWJEl..ES
lndem ~EARCHED INDEXED ;? I :
SERIAUZE0~~·==--1
l
AUG\. 1992
FBl tOS ANGEI.ES , . v
J.~·
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