(AURN News) — Thirty-five years ago today, Rodney King, a Black motorist, was kicked, struck with a Taser and beaten by four white Los Angeles police officers during a traffic stop on a San Fernando Valley freeway.
The assault was captured on a 12-minute videotape and broadcast on local television, exposing what many saw as the violent underbelly of the LAPD and igniting national outrage. Civil rights leaders demanded accountability as the footage spread across the country.
One year later, when a mostly white jury acquitted the four officers, anger erupted. Protests in South Los Angeles escalated into days of unrest that spread across the city. Dozens were killed, thousands were injured and entire neighborhoods were devastated.
The beating and its aftermath forced a national reckoning over policing, race and justice that still echoes today.
Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.
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