He became an international icon after Los Angeles police officers savagely beat him in 1991 with metal batons following a high-speed chase. It was all captured on video by a nearby resident, and the footage transfixed a nation when it was aired over the nightly news. Nearly 13 months later, on April 29, 1992, the city erupted in anger when four white officers were acquitted of the beating. Rioters stormed fiery streets. More than 50 people died, scores were hospitalized and hundreds of businesses and homes were destroyed during the unrest, which lasted three days. King, who had been drinking when he fled police, became known for his haunting plea to end the violence: “Can we all just get along?”
