Rodney King, Motorist Whose Beating By Los Angeles Police Officers Sparked US Race Riots, Dead At 47 [Video] *UPDATE* Fiance Says King Was Drinking & Smoking Weed Prior To Death
Rodney King, the man whose videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers in 1991 sparked some of the deadliest race riots in U.S.history, was found dead on Sunday, Reuters reported. He was 47.
King was found dead in a pool and there were no signs of foul play, Reuters reported, citing California police.
King was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers on March 3, 1991. A bystander videotaped much of the incident from a distance.
Violence broke out after a California jury acquitted three white and one Hispanic Los Angeles police officers in his beating.
The riots that erupted on April 29, 1992, were among the most lethal in U.S. history. By the time order was restored, 53 people had died, nearly 3,000 people were injured and thousands of businesses were damaged or destroyed.
Nearly a year later, a federal jury convicted two of the police officers of a federal charge of violating King’s civil rights and sentenced them to 30 months in prison. Two other officers were acquitted. King eventually received a $3.8 million settlement from the city, and the case led to sweeping changes in LAPD.
King had recently been promoting his just-published memoir, "The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption."
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
**UPDATE**
Rodney King's fiancée is telling friends Rodney had been drinking all day Saturday ... and had smoked weed in the hours leading up to his death ... sources close to King tell TMZ.
According to our sources, King's fiancée, Cynthia Kelley, is telling friends King was at the house all day drinking, and he smoked marijuana at some point, before she went to bed at 2:00 AM.
We're told Kelley says she next saw King at around 5:00 AM when she was awoken by him screaming in the backyard. Our sources say Kelley found King naked, banging on the glass, and she called out to him, "What's wrong, Rodney?"
Kelley is telling friends she then went to grab her phone when she heard a big splash. She then went to the backyard and discovered him in the bottom of the pool and called police.
Paramedics attempted to revive King, but were unsuccessful.
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Comment
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Comment by Homerohustla on June 19, 2012 at 6:56am -
Strange story, i'm not believin'it. Probly there was something elze,it smells like a setup. Unfortunally, i think that truth will never be discovered. Anyway, rest in peace..
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Comment by M.K.J... on June 18, 2012 at 5:11pm -
IM HEARING IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A SET UP FROM HIS SO CALLED FIANCEE CAUSE HER LIL STORY NOT ADDING UP SMH...
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Comment by NotoriousRambo on June 18, 2012 at 4:52pm -
RIP RODNEY YOU WERE NO MARTIN LUTHER KING BUT YOU SPARKED A REVOLUTION A SLOW ONE BUT YOU DID IT
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Comment by NATE \m/ (-_-) \m/ on June 18, 2012 at 11:56am -
r.i.p i told you guys they'd pull a whitney housten style death when will you guys wake up
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Comment by Takyla (Tiki) Robinson on June 18, 2012 at 10:50am -
RIP Rodney.
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Comment by Takyla (Tiki) Robinson on June 18, 2012 at 10:45am
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He probably was smoking weed and drinking but I still think something else was going on too.
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Comment by Andretti on June 18, 2012 at 8:59am -
ONLY 13 DAYS LEFT @Insomniac_T needs everyones help $1 gets the project a step closer. Who will be backer #20 http://kck.st/N7ePvP #INDIE
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Comment by hOLLANDjUNGLE on June 18, 2012 at 8:49am -
he received $3.8 mil? cot dam!
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Comment by BlackEskimo on June 18, 2012 at 6:59am -
That doesn't make sense. He's screaming in the backyard naked banging on the glass and next thing she knows she hears a splash. Then she left him in the bottom of the pool until the cops came? No attempt to save his life or try and get him to the top of the pool?
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Comment by MimE-FreAK on June 18, 2012 at 4:00am -
This story doesn't make sense. Weed and alcohol will not have you pass out in a pool. If anything it's going to wake you up. So there is something more to this. RIP
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