Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965 – June 17, 2012) was an African-American resident of Los Angeles who was violently arrested by officers of the L.A. Police Department. The event was videotaped by a bystander, and the incident raised a public outcry among those who believed it was a racially motivated and gratuitous attack. The acquittal in a state court of the four defendants, charged with using excessive force, provided the spark that led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Rodney King King's point of view on how things have changed since the incident Five years later, wounds from L.A. riots still sting (April 29, 1997).