Victim Rodney King

Rodney King's was the face that launched a few thousand fires and storefront break-ins in Los Angeles in March 1991.

King, a very large African-American man with a fairly extensive criminal history, was pulled over by police following a high-speed chase. He fled because he feared loss of his driver's license because driving drunk might violattte his parole from a previous conviction (for robbery).

King at first refused to get out of the car, then resisted being handcuffed. He was getting the better of the four LAPD officers, so he was twice Tasered. When even that did not stop him, he was hit repeatedly with nightsticks, punched and kicked while on the ground.

A nearby resident videotaped the beating, which lasted roughly a minute and a half. To put it mildly, the officers beat King like a drum.

The four officers were tried for using excessive force; all escaped conviction. The black community of LA went wild, rioting for several days.

More than 50 people died in the riots, more than 2,000 were hurt, more than 3,000 businesses were damaged, and thousands of fires were set. Finally, a combination of Army troops, Marines and National Guard forces restored order. Later, the officers who did the beating were brought to civil trial. There, two were acquitted and two sentenced to 30 months.

King got a $3.8 million settlement and started his own record label. His other "record," of breaking the law,continued to grow, compounded by drinking troubles. In 2007, he was shot and injured during the theft of his bicycle.