March 3rd, 1991...
On this day, Rodney King, an African-American man, and two passengers were driving west during a high-speed chase in the Los Angeles area. Once King’s car was finally stopped, the three men were handcuffed by five LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) officers. While the accompanying passengers were placed in the patrol car, King was forced to exit his vehicle.
He was brutally beaten for a reported 15 minutes. More than a dozen officers stood by and watched as four of their colleagues tasered, kicked, and tackled the victim. Three of the officers were white, 3 one was Hispanic. His injuries led to skull fractures, broken bones and teeth, and permanent brain damage. Thankfully, a passerby filmed the graphic scene (which was later used as evidence in court).
April 29th, 1992
An investigation ensued the following day. Finally, a verdict was declared: the four police officers were briefly acquitted despite the explicit evidence.
As the footage of King’s beating circulated online, the case drew immense outrage from people of all races. It was clear that the perpetrators should not have gotten away after committing such a racially motivated crime. Due to such injustice, an intense period of rioting and unrest in LA ensued.
The riots
Just hours after the acquittals, Los Angeles residents rioted. Businesses were burned down, stores were looted, and a total of 63 people were killed. Around 3,000 were injured, 12,000 were arrested, and resulting property damages totalled around $1 billion.
Although the unrest was terribly chaotic, it demonstrated how far people can go after being faced with the wrongdoings of society.
How this affects us today
Anyone who has been on the Internet within the last year knows of the May 25th, 2020 incident. George Floyd, a Black man, was killed due to suspicion that he was using a counterfeit $20 bill. A white police officer arrived at the scene to arrest him, but he instead kneeled on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. This horrific event sparked Black Lives Matter protests all around the world.
Many began comparing the similarities between the cases of King and Floyd. Both incidents were filmed and were crimes of police brutality. However, one distinct difference is that the officer in Floyd’s situation was found guilty and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison, while King’s murderers were freed without consequences.
Unfortunately, police brutality is still very present in society. While we were able to hold some police officers accountable for their actions, many more have been able to get off scot-free. This shouldn’t be the case. Families should not have to wonder if the person who killed their child, sibling, or spouse will receive an acquittal. Through these riots and protests, the public has expressed something very wrong with how our society handles cases, especially those related to race.
So, why aren’t we changing it?
Sources
Comments