Over six days, 55 people were killed, more than 2,000 were injured, and 12,000 were. And as truck driver reginald denny found out during those riots, if youre in the wrong place at the wrong time wearing the wrong skin color, you could end up beaten within inches of losing your life. A truck driver named reginald denny was pulled from the cab of his big rig and beaten, with a tire iron, a fire extinguisher. Twentyfive years after reginald denny was dragged out of his big rig and viciously beaten on live tv during the l. A look back at the rodney king riots this week 25 years ago, policemen were acquitted in the savage beating of african. He was the truck driver who was pulled from his cab and beaten by. Denny was a truck driver who was pulled from his vehicle, beaten and robbed while trying to drive. Truck driver reginald denny is beaten during rioting after the acquittal of the white policemen who beat black motorist rodney king.
Taken place at the intersection of 71st and normandie, semitruck driver reginald denny is beaten without reason for an insufferable amount of time. Tensions started with the not guilty verdict of the police officers involved in the rodney king beating. Riots attacker tells shocking story 20 years later. Antoine miller, 31, who was videotaped opening the truck drivers door. The incident, caught on amateur videotape, had sparked national debate about police brutality and racial injustice.
The 27 yearold towtruck driver had stopped for a hamburger at a. The attack was captured on video by a news helicopter, and broadcast live on us national television. During the 1980s, many immigrants began to move in and the crack epidemic had a terrible effect on the area. In the late afternoon of april 29, 1992, he had simply loaded up his 18wheeler and headed down the road, driving for his employer transit mixed concrete.
A fourth man surrenders later in the attack on reginald denny that was viewed by millions. It featured footage of the watts riot in it and also talked about much of the rioting. Also, 1991 and 1992 were the worst on record for crime. Maxine waters embraced the thug who slammed concrete on. Taking a shortcut off the santa monica freeway down normandie avenue was nothing out of the ordinary for 33yearold reginald denny.
On the afternoon of april 29, 1992, a jury in ventura county acquitted four lapd officers of beating rodney g. The 27yearold towtruck driver had stopped for a hamburger at a. I doubt his truck drivin, mullet wearing hooseir ass had any problem with the daily and endemic racism that happened through most of his life, given that he wasnt also a perpetrator. Witnesses reflect on las rodney king riot 25 years later ap news. Truck driver reginald denny is pulled from his cab on the first day of the unrest in this scene from the documentary let it fall. Prior to april 29th, i had done some research and gone to south central. The flash point was a single intersection in south l. The notorious attack on truck driver reginald denny and other. Of the 36 riotrelated homicides, 23 remain unsolved. Spike lees 1992 film malcolm x opens with a scene of the rodney king beating. Denny was a truck driver who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he was the wrong color. Five days of riots, arson and looting ensued, fueled by deeprooted tensions that.