Los Angeles Riots
Four white Los Angeles Police Officers were charged with the use of excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. On April 29, 1992, three of the officers were acquitted by a jury of ten Whites, one Latino, and an Asian. The jury could not agree on a verdict for one of the counts on one of the officers. Several hours after the verdicts were read the riots broke out. Protesters claimed the officers were acquitted because they were white and Rodney King was black. The riots lasted for several days. KTLA provided continuous television coverage of the events which riveted the country. Parts of the city went up in flames, stores were openly looted, innocent bystanders were beaten and rioters shot at police. A curfew and deployment of the California National Guard troops began to control the situation. Eventually federal troops and the U.S. Marines would stop the violence. Between 50 and 60 people were killed in the riots, as many as 2,000 injured. Estimates of property damage vary between $800 Million and $1 Billion. Approximately 3,600 fires were set, destroying 1,100 buildings. 10,000 people were arrested. Click for video
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