The 1990’s marked a new era in police behavior and brutality for Los Angelinos. The police force under the authority of chief Daryl Gates paved the way for troubling race relations. The city of Los Angeles described itself as a melting pot, a conglomeration of races, religions, and ways of life. The eighties had passed by, and now the people began a new endeavor in a new decade.

The riots had enough hate and destruction to plague the lives of thousands for many years. Despite the ill-willed intentions of many, and the lack of foundation to stay focused on the real issues, good people still existed. Not just good in the sense that they stayed home and did not rack up the bill of total damage, but good in the sense that they went out to make a difference in what they saw going on around them. For example, on Florence and Normandie, white truck driver, Reginald Denny, received excessive beatings from five black men. This seemed like an obvious case of revenge against white racism. Surprisingly, a black man, concurrently shocked at the occurrences, manned his car and with the help of some other locals, saved Denny’s life.

Due to its immense size, Los Angeles lacked a police force that could be portrayed as caring or sensitive to the needs of the common citizen. In addition, the melting pot of diversity slowly started to boil over in controversy due to a graphic video of police brutality.

The African-American community would soon have unalienable proof of the injustice perpetually served to them. “Holliday focused his camcorder lens on the scene outside his Los Angeles apartment” (Brewster & Jennings 537). The action of an anonymous man ignited a fire that raged in the hearts of the African American citizens. Stacy Koon along with three other fellow LAPD law enforcers savagely beat Rodney King showing “undeniable proof of a serious crime and . . . a call to examine police behavior nationwide” (Brewster & Jennings 537). People on the streets knew that racial profiling existed among the prestigious Los Angeles police force. “Nearly 48% of blacks felt that they would be treated unfairly if encountered by an LAPD officer” (Church). African Americans had legitimate reason to want reform and, with groups like the NAACP, probably could have pulled it off. Nevertheless, the black community held in their inner sanctum as the reel of King being cruelly smacked eighty-one times replayed itself on the nightly news. They could only tolerate so much more before actions would erupt.

Criticism found its way to the judge, but the trial went on. To the shock of the country, jurors sided with a theoretical vision of what the police officers saw, a drunk man who posed a major threat to their lives. Although the camera portrayed a much different scene, the verdict came back as not gui

Some topics in this essay:
Alan Williams, Los Angeles, Brewster Jennings, Rodney King, Goldie Bell, Daryl Gates, Reginald Denny, Simi Valley, African Americans, Takao Hirata, los angeles, alan williams, greg alan, greg alan williams, police force, rodney king, brewster jennings, chief daryl gates, chief daryl, daryl gates, angeles riots, hate destruction, los angeles riots, city los angeles, rodney king trial,