Los Angeles Riots

Setting the scene

The Los Angeles riots erupted April 29, 1992, after four LAPD officers were acquitted of beating Rodney King, a Black motorist. King had been beaten on March 3, 1991, after a high-speed chase, and the beating was videotaped by a bystander. The video showed officers striking King 56 times with batons. The acquittal, by a Simi Valley jury with no Black members, sparked outrage.

What happened

Rioting began at Florence and Normandie avenues in South Central LA and spread for six days. Rioters looted stores, burned buildings, and attacked motorists. The violence was partly racial—Korean-owned stores were targeted due to tensions over the killing of Latasha Harlins by a Korean shopkeeper in 1991. The LAPD was overwhelmed, and Governor Pete Wilson deployed the National Guard. Federal troops arrived May 1.

Why it still matters

The riots killed 63 people, injured 2,300, and caused $1 billion in damage, with 3,600 fires. The acquitted officers were later convicted in federal court for violating King's civil rights. The riots exposed deep racial and economic divisions in Los Angeles and police brutality nationwide. They led to reforms in the LAPD and increased awareness of systemic racism. April 29, 1992, demonstrated how video evidence and perceived injustice could ignite urban unrest.

Background

National Guard restored order.