[quote=svelte][quote=CA renter]
(wrt Rodney King)
…Under no circumstances was the coverage of that case balanced in any way. While I agree that there are horrific cases of unjustifiable police brutality, this was not one of them, IMHO.
[/quote]
From Wikipedia:
After the riots, the United States Department of Justice reinstated the investigation and obtained an indictment of violations of federal civil rights against the four officers. The federal trial focused more on the evidence as to the training of officers instead of just relying on the videotape of the incident… The jury found Officer Laurence Powell and Sergeant Stacey Koon guilty, and they were subsequently sentenced to 30 months in prison, while Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseño were acquitted of all charges.
In other words, CA Renter, you are saying the conviction of the police in court was wrong.
And while I absolutely agree that the rioters should be held accountable also, law officers are granted special status and protection under the law (as they should) and with that comes a higher standard for their behavior.[/quote]
Svelte, I read the Wikipedia entry this morning in its entirety. I also skimmed the report of the independent commission (which was highly critical of LAPD). I have to say you pulled quite selectively from the wikipedia page in order to make your point.
You left out:
– King was traveling between 90 and 117 MPH westbound on the 210
– King then drove between 50 and 80 MPH on residential streets while his passengers asked him to slow down.
– King’s BAC was 0.07% 2.5 *hours* after his arrest
– King’s two passengers exited the vehicle, complied with officers instructions, laid spreadeagle on the ground, and were released that night without incident.
– King continued to get up after being Tased. Imagine your concern as an officer. What would YOU do? Should an officer have to risk injury to deal with this person and his poor, endangering decisions?
– There were 23 officers at the scene. 4 were indicted in the federal case. 2 were convicted.
On a separate but related note: the morons who threw bricks on Reginald Denny’s head at Florence and Normandy didn’t even know about the King verdict. Their parents still defended them though, with signs calling them “the Denny Six” as if they had suffered some injustice.
