Los Angeles on fire — the Rodney King case (and resulting riots) 30 years later

Racial Justice

By Judge Ramon Ocasio III

Judge Ramon Ocasio III has served as a judge for 15 years and presides over a felony courtroom in the 4th Municipal District for the Cook County Circuit Court. He was named Catholic Lawyer of the Year by the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago.

Posted April 28, 2022 2:28 PM

On April 29, 1992, an all-white jury found the officers who violently beat Rodney King, a young Black man in Los Angeles, not guilty, sparking an uprising in which more than 50 people died and more than 2,000 were injured. While police violence against Black men is not a new phenomenon, capturing police abuse on video was. In the minds of many, the King video only confirmed what police are capable of when they think no one is looking. Even then, President George H.W. Bush expressed disbelief about the jury verdict. Still …

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