Rodney King Dead At 47, Drowns In Pool
Rodney King was found dead this morning in his Rialito, California home, he was just 47-years-old. King’s body was discovered by his fiancée at the bottom of a pool.
Police responded to a call at 5:25 AM PT and when they arrived on the scene they removed King’s body and tried to perform CPR. King was pronounced dead at 6:11 AM.
King rose to fame after he was brutally attacked by a group of police officers in 1991, that attack was captured on video and led to a nationally televised court room battle. The officers involved in the beating were acquitted the next year, a court decision that led to massive rioting in Los Angeles. Two of the officers were later found guilty of civil rights violations during a federal court hearing and were jailed.
The sad news of King’s death comes just two months after he spoke with TMZ, an interview that seemed to show a positive man who was forwarding looking about his life. In one interview King had even proclaimed “America has been good to me.” King had begun opening up more in 2011 about the incident that led to his beating 20 years earlier, admitting that he had been drinking when he was pulled over and had panicked for fear that he would be sent back to prison where he had already served a term for robbery.
During one 2011 interview Rodney King told CNN:
“I had a job to go to that Monday, and I knew I was on parole, and I knew I wasn’t supposed to be drinking, and I’m like ‘Oh, my God.”"
The Rialto police department will officially open a drowning investigation.
In the meantime here is the now infamous beating video of Rodney King:
Our condolences go out to his family and friends during their time of loss.
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Jun 17, 2012
sad
Jun 17, 2012
He understood forgiveness, the benefits it could bring to a life.
Jun 17, 2012
….first time ive ever viewed this video…how the Cowards w badges were ever acquited is beyond me!!
Jun 17, 2012
It's sad, " All that money don't mean a dam thing! ", When The Lord's ready for you to return home.
Jun 17, 2012
I am from Los Angeles originally, but after seeing this despicable video I am almost ashamed to admit it. No matter what condition he was in, drunk or otherwise, he did not deserve to be beaten down like a dog. No wonder people were pissed off. Can you blame them, really? Rest in peace Mr. King, you deserve it.
Jun 17, 2012
Sad…
Jun 17, 2012
RIP Rodney King
Jun 17, 2012
Forgive my ignorance, so…what im understanding is "they" bought him & their acquittals???
Jun 17, 2012
I think it is in bad taste to show that video. He moved on past that incident and is famous for the quote "Can't we all just get along?" which I think is a far better event to highlight then the video of the beating that incited riots and fired up some people so much that they beat innocent citizens. I am not saying police brutality is something to overlook or that they shouldn't have been punished, but that was like 20 years ago. He moved on and so should we. Let's focus on the here and now and work on today's evils. R. I. P. Rodney King.
Jun 17, 2012
I agree w/you 100%…..
Jun 17, 2012
R.I.P Rodney King
Jun 17, 2012
Wow!
Jun 17, 2012
@sad I would agree with you, however I placed the video because readers born in the mid-80's and later are not really familiar with the video. To speak of the context but not show it would have left much open to interpretation to younger readers in their teens and even mid-20s.
Jun 17, 2012
@Sad, I would agree with you but look at the comments from readers (especially people in their teens and 20s who were unfamiliar with the beating video). The video shows the context of what he went through and as the article later states, he loved America despite it, that in itself sends a strong message to younger, disillusioned Americans.
Jun 17, 2012
oops…meant to say "that they shouldn't have been unpunished".
Jun 17, 2012
You are correct on that. I think maybe the whole story could have been told…I mean, not one mention of his statement? That statement "Can't we all just get along?" became as much a catch phrase as "Where's the beef?". I just think it should have been included because it ends the whole situation on a positive note.
Jun 17, 2012
And…now I feel old. lmao
Jun 17, 2012
They were acquitted because they were white. Just like in the Travon Martin case white man killed black man. They are fine with them killing black men or boys, but if that would have been a black man killed a white person they be in prison skip the jail no questions asked. they would already be tried and convicted because they are black. Why is it when a white person kills a black person they have the trial and the white person gets off like thank you for doing us a favor, but when a black person kills a white person they going straight to the pen no questions asked there would not even have a trial his black ass would just go to prison for life.
Jun 17, 2012
Yes, he freed himself, and so could free others.
Jun 17, 2012
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Jun 18, 2012
The people are only getting a small part of the story. He was high on DRUGS the night he got "beaten". Fought with the police multiple times throughout that incident and since that incident has been arrested including arrests for drug use. Just trying to set the record more straight. Anyone wants to put a wager on the results of his toxicology at autopsy? Anyone? Also, the video we all saw on television, and which is repeated here, is not the full video that was taken and presented at the police officer's criminal and civil trials.
Jun 18, 2012
i was 17 at the time all that went down..no he shouldn't have resisted arrest but i'm sure out of all those officers one or two could of pinned him down while another cuffed him.. also i read somewhere where it was his fault that the riots started..no it wasn't he did come on tv stating we all need to get along..it was the system that failed..those cops should of got some type of punishment..i'm sure those cops at that time have dealt with much bigger and stronger people than rodney..this one just happened to get caught on tap.,i'm so over all this racial bs..the man is human and makes mistakes..his mistakes just got the best of him..if you watched him on celebrity rehab he was a cool dude
Jun 18, 2012
Wow! But I don't understand its says he was found at bottom, the body floats so what really happened?
Jun 18, 2012
I don't think bodies actually float in the beginning. I might be wrong. I remember when I was young a kid drowned in a stock pond behind my house..they found him on the bottom.
Jun 18, 2012
It floats after a bit, when the body starts releasing gases or somethin like that
Jun 18, 2012
I thought so hut it still takes a day or so for that to happen right?
Jun 18, 2012
Melissa Nickens Correct Melissa, there is a level of decomposition before a body releases gases and actually begins to float.
Jun 19, 2012
Wow thanks James. I still wonder what happened and really how long was he there to be at the bottom?