1992 Los Angeles riots

1992 Los Angeles riots
Aftermath of the riots
DateApril 29 – May 4, 1992
(6 days); 32 years ago
Location
Los Angeles County, California, US
Caused by
Methods
  • Widespread rioting
  • looting
  • assault
  • protests
  • vandalism
  • shootouts
Resulted inRiots suppressed
  • Many homes and businesses damaged, looted, or destroyed
  • Resignation of chief Daryl Gates
Parties
United States
Armed civilians, notably from Korean American communities, defending property from rioters and looters.[1]
Casualties
Death(s)63[2]
Injuries2,383
Arrested12,111[3][4]
Damage$1 billion

The 1992 Los Angeles riots (also called the South Central riots, Rodney King riots, or the 1992 Los Angeles uprising)[5][6] were a series of riots and civil disturbances that occurred in Los Angeles County, California, United States, during April and May 1992. Unrest began in South Central Los Angeles on April 29, after a jury acquitted four officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) charged with using excessive force in the arrest and beating of Rodney King. The incident had been videotaped by George Holliday, who was a bystander to the incident, and was heavily broadcast in various news and media outlets.

The rioting took place in several areas in the Los Angeles metropolitan area as thousands of people rioted over six days following the verdict's announcement. Widespread looting, assault, and arson occurred during the riots, which local police forces had difficulty controlling. The situation in the Los Angeles area was resolved after the California National Guard, United States military, and several federal law enforcement agencies deployed more than 10,000 of their armed first responders to assist in ending the violence and unrest.[7]

When the riots had ended, 63 people had been killed,[8] 2,383 had been injured, more than 12,000 had been arrested, and estimates of property damage were over $1 billion, making it the most destructive period of local unrest in US history. Koreatown, situated just to the north of South Central LA, was disproportionately damaged because of racial tensions between communities. Much of the blame for the extensive nature of the violence was attributed to LAPD Chief of Police Daryl Gates, who had already announced his resignation by the time of the riots, for failure to de-escalate the situation and overall mismanagement.[9][10]

  1. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/03/us/riot-los-angles-pocket-tension-target-rioters-koreatown-bitter-armed-determined.html
  2. ^ "Los Angeles Riots: Remember the 63 people who died". April 26, 2012.
  3. ^ Harris, Paul (1999). Black Rage Confronts the Law. NYU Press. p. 186. ISBN 9780814735923. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  4. ^ Rayner, Richard (1998). The Granta Book of Reportage. Granta Books. p. 424. ISBN 9781862071933. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  5. ^ Danver, Steven L., ed. (2011). "Los Angeles Uprising (1992)". Revolts, Protests, Demonstrations, and Rebellions in American History: An Encyclopedia, Volume 3. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 1095–1100. ISBN 978-1-59884-222-7.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bergesen & Herman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Trump invoking Insurrection Act could undo years of police reform, experts warn". NBC News. June 4, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  8. ^ Miranda, Carolina A. (April 28, 2017). "Of the 63 people killed during '92 riots, 23 deaths remain unsolved – artist Jeff Beall is mapping where they fell". Los Angeles Times.
  9. ^ Cannon, Lou; Lee, Gary (May 2, 1992). "Much Of Blame Is Laid On Chief Gates". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  10. ^ Mydans, Seth (October 22, 1992). "Failures of City Blamed for Riot In Los Angeles". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 23, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.