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Rodney King Dead Aged 47; Found Dead in Pool

Rodney King has been found dead Sunday; he was aged just 47. King is the man who was seen on a recorded videotape being beating by Los Angeles police officers in 1991; an incident that sparked some of the deadliest race riots in U.S. history.

Rodney King, whose beating at the hands of police 20 years ago sparked race riots in L.A.
Rodney King, whose beating at the hands of police 20 years ago sparked race riots in L.A. | (Photo: Twitter/Patrick W. Gavin)

King was found dead in a pool and as yet police are not suspecting anything untoward, according to Reuters. The incident involving King being beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers took place on March 3, 1991. The incident got nationwide publicity after a bystander videotaped the incident, sparking outrage across America.

Three white and one Hispanic police officers were acquitted in the trial concerning the incident, which enflamed already angry protesters, and sparked huge riots on April 29, 1992. Thos riots were among the most deadly in U.S. history, causing the deaths of 53 people and injuring almost 3,000 others. The widespread damage to property and businesses was also devastating.

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A year following those riots, a federal jury finally convicted two of the officers and sentenced them to 30 months in prison. The two other officers in the case, however, were acquitted of all charges.

King received $3.8 million from the city, and had just recently published a memoir called "The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption."

Rodney King was 47 when he died.

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