April 15, 2003
PAGING STACY KOON:
Police: Rodney King Slams SUV Into House (AP, Apr 15, 2003)Rodney King, whose videotaped beating led to the deadly 1992 riots in Los Angeles, was hospitalized with a broken pelvis after he lost control of his SUV while weaving through traffic at 100 mph and crashed into a house, police said.King, 39, was spotted Sunday by a police officer who said King was speeding and weaving through traffic in his 2003 Ford Expedition when he slammed into a utility pole, a chain-link fence and then the home, police said. No one in the home was injured.
King was in fair condition Monday afternoon, hospital spokesman Jorge Valencia said. His condition was not available Tuesday as hospital officials did not answer phone calls.
Police said they suspect that King was intoxicated, and a blood sample was drawn to determine his blood-alcohol level. Test results have not yet been released.
The first Rodney King incident--to achieve fame anyway--just happened to occur while I was in law school. One day, when all and sundry were making the appropriate politically sensitive noises about how terrible the beating was, I pointed out that if some black crackhead came racing through their neighborhood doing 100 mph and then resisted arrest, they'd be out on their lawns rooting on the cops. Let's just say this was met with some disagreement. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 15, 2003 3:42 PM
What was Mr. King heard saying to the arresting officer? "Can't we all get a lawn".
Posted by: Tom C., Stamford, Ct. at April 15, 2003 6:01 PMLet's see what Google says,
Source
May 28, 1991: King picked up a transvestite prostitute in Hollywood who happened to be under surveillance by LAPD officers. King and the prostitute were observed in an alley engaging in sexual activity. When the prostitute spotted the officers, King sped away, nearly hitting one of them. King later explained that he thought the vice officers were robbers trying to kill him. No charges were filed.
June 26, 1992: King's second wife reported to police that King had hit her and she feared for her life. King was handcuffed and taken to a police station, but his wife then decided against pressing charges.
July 16, 1992: King was arrested at 1:40 A.M. for driving while intoxicated. No charges were filed.
August 21, 1993: King crashed into a wall near a downtown Los Angeles nightclub. He had a blood alcohol level of 0.19. King was charged with violating his parole and sent for sixty day to an alcohol treatment center. He was also convicted on the DUI charge and ordered to perform twenty days of community service.
May 21, 1995: King was arrested for DUI while on a trip to Pennsylvania. King failed field sobriety tests, but refused to submit to a blood test. He was tried and acquitted.
July 14, 1995: King got into an argument with his wife while he was driving, pulled off the freeway and ordered her out of the car. When she started to get out, King sped off, leaving her on the highway with a bruised arm. King was charged with assault with a deadly weapon (his car), reckless driving, spousal abuse, and hit-and-run. King was tried on all four charges, but found guilty only of hit-and-run driving.
March 3, 1999: King allegedly injured the sixteen-year-old girl that he had fathered out of wedlock when he was seventeen, as well as the girl's mother. King was arrested for injuring the woman, the girl, and for vandalizing property. King claimed that the incident was simply "a family misunderstanding."
September 29, 2001: King was arrested for indecent exposure and use of the hallucinogenic drug PCP.
Well, we know what percentage of L.A. County
law enforcement officials think of equal
treatment under the law. 21 present, one
objected. More than 96% thugs present.
Or, as the great Henry Vestine put it, "If you
are big, strong and stupid, the L.A. Sheriff's Department
wants you." That cuts every which way, don't
it?
The famous rodney king incident was the first time I cocked my head and realized I was brainwashed. I graduated college that year, read PJ ORourke, became a Newt minion, and have not wavered since. Thank you Rodney.
Posted by: neil at April 16, 2003 12:55 AMHarry:
They're thugs until Rodney';s at your doorstep, then saviors.
They're thugs, period. They weren't saving
anybody from anything. They'd already
done that before they starting beating him up.
Harry:
Read Lou Cannon's book and you'll see you're quite wrong. It's a brilliant bit of journalism.