Rodney King, 47, found dead at California home
Posted June 17, 2012 11:57 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Rodney King, the man who became the face of the infamous Los Angeles riots in 1992, has been found dead at the age of 47.
Reports indicate King was found lifeless at the bottom of a pool by his fiancee.
California police confirmed to local media that King was indeed found dead, adding that there appeared to be no signs of foul play.
King made international headlines in 1991 when a bystander managed to videotape him being brutally beaten by a group of LAPD officers.
The beating, which took place after a high-speed car chase between police and King, forever shook Los Angeles and opened the dialogue on race relations in America.
At the time, a 25-year-old King was out on parole for a previous conviction. He had been drinking that night and, fearing a return to prison, fled when he saw a police car tailing him.
After stopping in what King said he ensured was a public place, at least four officers beat King nearly to death with batons and used a stun gun.
The beating was caught on tape and later made international headlines.
Four LAPD officers were charged with assault with a deadly weapon and excessive use of force, but three would eventually be acquitted with the the jury reaching a deadlock on the fourth.
That decision would spark what became known as the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
For days rioters tore through the streets of L.A. leaving wreckage and damage in their wake.
By the time the riots were finished more than 50 people had been killed and nearly $1 billion in damage had been done.
The riots would eventually be quelled by police, national guard and a statement by King pleading for everyone to get along.
