I was 12 when the LA Riots happened, and admittedly quite a bit less interested in current events at the time.

I did know that the whole thing had something to do with Rodney King, and there was a guy named Reginald Denney. I saw a show last night on the National Geographic Channel that was about the riots, and learned some interesting things.

LA Riots Background and Trivia:

• The riots occurred after 4 police officers were acquitted for allegedly using “excessive force” when apprehending Rodney King after a high speed pursuit. The apprehension was video taped by a bystander and the local news media edited the video to highlight the most offensive portions. Footage of King attacking the police was edited out. Footage of the officers using their batons to subdue King was not edited out. The officers claim that King continued to resist and fight after being tazed twice (which happened before the video camera showed up).
• After the verdict was announced, the Mayor immediately went on TV and fanned the flames of discontent by denouncing the verdict. That’s what you would call “Not Helpful.”
• The LAPD did not have a plan in place in case there was violence after the verdict. This was in part because everyone expected convictions based on the edited video they had seen on the news a million times.
• The Police Chief did not take command during the riots. He instead went to a political event. The mayor was trying to push a new law putting term limits on the Police Chief as a way to force out the Chief. The mayor and Chief had not spoken for more than a year prior to the riots.
• 59 Firefighters were hurt while trying to put out fires that the rioters had set. 4 were shot.
• Rioters looted and set fire to a large portion of South Central LA. Some Black business owners spray-painted “Black Owned” on their businesses. Rioters skipped these businesses and targeted the Korean owned businesses instead. There was quite a bit of animosity between the Black and Korean communities.
• Reginald Denney was a truck driver who was pulled out of his truck and beaten by a mob. His beating was captured by news helicopters. He survived, but needed brain surgery.
• Rodney King won $3.8 million from the city in a civil suit. Since the incident he has been arrested at least 11 more times for things like hit-and-run, indecent exposure, possessing PCP, spousal abuse, and fleeing from police and crashing into a house. He will appear in the second season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, since apparently society would rather put people on VH1 than incarcerate them.

Source: National Geographic Channel