LAPD King Beating Trial英.docx

LAPD King Beating Trial英.docx

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LAPDKingBeatingTrial英

2019年LAPD（KingBeating）Trial（英）

TheTrialsofLosAngelesPoliceOfficers'inConnectionwiththeBeatingofRodneyKing

ByDougLinder（2001）

　　Itseemedlikeanopen-and-shutcase.TheGeorgeHollidayvideo,playedontelevisionsooftenthatanexecutiveatCNNcalledit"wallpaper,"showedthreeLosAngelespoliceofficers——astheirsupervisorwatched——kicking,stompingon,andbeatingwithmetalbatonsaseeminglydefenselessAfrican-AmericannamedRodneyKing.Pollstakenshortlyaftertheincidentshowedthatover90%ofLosAngelesresidentswhosawthevideotapebelievedthatthepoliceusedexcessiveforceinarrestingKing.Despitethevideotape,ajuryinSimiValleyconcludedayearlaterthattheevidencewasnotsufficienttoconvicttheofficers.Withinhoursofthejury'sverdict,LosAngeleseruptedinriots.Whenitwasover,fifty-fourpeoplehadlosttheirlives,over7,000peoplehadbeenarrested,andhundredsofmillionsofdollarsworthofpropertyhadbeendestroyed.Whydidthetwelvemembersofthejuryfailtoconvictanyoftheofficers?

Wasthejuryracist,assomecharged?

OrdidthejuryseesomethingintheevidencethatjustifiedthebrutalitywitnessedontheHollidayvideotape?

　　March3,1991

　　OnthenightofMarch2,1991,RodneyGlenKingwatchedabasketballgameanddrankforty-ouncebottlesofOldeEnglish800atafriend'shomeinsuburbanLosAngeles.Afterthegame,Kingproposedatrip——possiblytopickupsomegirls.Kingandtwofriends,"Pooh"AllenandFreddieHelms,tookoffdrivingwestdownthe210freeway.

　　At12:

30A.M.,ahusband-and-wifeteamoftheCaliforniaHighwayPatrol,TimandMelanieSinger,spottedKing'sHyundaibehindthemdrivingataveryhighspeed.TheSingersexitedattheSunlandBoulevardofframpandreturnedtothefreewaytochasethespeedingcaratspeedsofupto117milesperhour.Kingignoredtheflashinglightsandspedoffanexitramp.Heranaredlight,nearlycausinganaccident,beforefinallycomingtoastopneartheentrancetoHansenDamPark,attheintersectionofOsborneStreetandFoothillBoulevard.Withinseconds,threeLosAngelespolicecarsandapolicehelicopterarrivedatthescene.OfficersLaurencePowellandTimothyWindwereinonecar.TheodoreBrisenoandRolandoSolanowereinthesecondcar,andSergeantStaceyKooninthethird.

　　TimSingerorderedtheoccupantsoftheHyundaitoleavethevehicleandliefacedownontheground.AllenandHelmscomplied,butKingremainedinthecar.MelanieSingeragainshoutedatKingtogetout,whichhedid.SingerdescribedKingas"smiling"ashestoodbyhiscarandwavedatthepolicehelicopteroverhead.AsSingerorderedKingtogethishandswhereshecouldseethem,King——accordingtoSinger'stestimony——"grabbedhisrightbuttockwithhisrighthandandheshookitatme."KingfinallycompliedwithSinger'sordertolieontheground.AsshedrewclosetoKingwithhergundrawntomakethearrest,SergeantKoonshouted,"Standback.Standback.We'llhandlethis."Koonwouldlatersayheintervenedbecausehethoughttheuseofgunswas"alousytactic"thatwouldprobablyresulteitherinthedeathofKingortheCHPofficers.

　　King'sbizarrebehaviorandhis"spaced-out"lookledKoontosuspectthatKingwas"dusted"——auserofthedrugmostfearedbypolicedepartments,PCP.Policebelievedthatthedrugmadeindividualsimpervioustopainandgavethemalmostsuperhumanstrength.King's"buffedout"lookaddedtohisapprehensions.HeconcludedthatKingwasprobablyanex-conwhodevelopedhismusclesworkingoutonprisonweights.（AlthoughKoon'ssuspicionsaboutthePCPwouldlaterproveunfounded,hewasrightaboutKingbeinganex-con.Earlierthatwinter,Kinghadbeenparoledafterservingtimeforrobbingaconveniencestoreandassaultingtheclerk.）KoongrewevenmoreconcernedafterKingsuccessfullyrepelledaswarmingmaneuverbyhisofficersand——moreremarkably——managedtorisetohisfeetafterbeinghittwicebyanelectricstunguncalledaTaser.

　　ThelightsandnoiseawakenedGeorgeHolliday,themanagerofaplumbingcompany,inhisapartment.Hewalkedtohisbedroomterraceandpointedhisnewvideocameraattheactionunfoldingninetyfeetaway.HebeganrecordingasKingrosetohisfeetandmadeachargeinthedirectionofPowell,butthescenecameintofocusonlyasOfficersPowellandWindbeganstrikingKingwiththeirmetalbatons.BeforeKingisfinallyhandcuffedaboutaminute-and-a-halflater,Holliday'scamerarecordsPowellandWindinflictingoverfiftybatonblowsandseveralkicks.ItalsorecordsOfficerBrisenostompingonKing'sshoulder,causinghisheadtohithardagainsttheasphalt.Oneormoreofthebatonblowsseemtoland,contrarytoLAPDpolicy,onKing'shead.TheviolenceistoofarfromHolliday'sbedroomtopickupthesoundofKingashefinallysays,"Pleasestop."

　　AfterKingwashandcuffed,Koonaskedallofficerswhoparticipatedintheuseofforcetoraisetheirhands.OfficersPowellandWindbothraisedtheirhands,but——remarkably——eachlearnedforthefirsttimethattheotherofficerhadparticipatedintheuseofforce.PowellandWindhad,inthejargonoflawenforcement,"tunneledin"onKing.

　　Shortlybefore1A.M.,Koontypedamessageintohisin-carcomputer:

"Ujusthadabigtimeuseofforce.TasedandbeatthesuspectofCHPpursuit."Powellalsoreportedtheincidentonhiscomputer——inaseeminglyboastfulwaythatwouldcometohauntthedefense.Powelltyped,"Ihaven'tbeatenanyonethisbadinalongtime."Itwasn'tPowell'sonlycontroversialmessagethatnight.Later,investigatorswoulddiscoveranothermessagesentshortlybeforetheKingarrestinwhichhedescribedthesceneofadomesticdisturbanceinvolvingAfrican-Americansasrightoutof"GorillasintheMist."

　　King,takeninanambulancetoPacificaHospital,recalledlittleofwhathappenedafterPowell'sfirstblow.Agrandjurywouldlaterhearhimtestify:

"Ifeltbeatupandlikeacrushedcan.That'swhatIfeltlike,likeacrushedcanallover,andmyspiritsweredownreallow."

　　DemandsforJustice

　　GeorgeHollidaythoughthisvideocamerahadcapturedsomethingimportant.OnMarch4,HollidaytookhisfilmtoLosAngelestelevisionstationKTLA.NewsproducersatKTLAfoundthetapeshockingandplayeditontheeveningnews.CNNpickedupthetapethenextdayandsoonitwaseverywhere.CNNVicePresidentEdTurnersaid"televisionusedthetapelikewallpaper."Mostviewerswhosawthetape——whichranwithoutthefirstfuzzysecondsshowingKing'schargeatPowell——asrevealingthebrutalandsenselessbeatingofahelplessdrunk.ApolltakeninLosAngelesafterthetapehadbeenrunningshowedthat92%ofthosepolledbelievedthatexcessiveforcewasusedagainstRodneyKing.ThosefeelingsseemedtoextendeventomanywithintheLAPDitself.PoliceChiefDarylGatescalledtheuseofforce"very,veryextreme":

"FortheLAPD,consideredbymanythefinest,mostprofessionalpolicedepartmentintheworld,itwasmorethanextreme.Itwasimpossible."

　　Soonprosecutorialwheelsbeganturning——notforRodneyKing,whowasreleasedwithoutcharges,butforthefourLAPDofficersinvolvedinhisarrest.OfficerspresentatthearrestsceneattheintersectionofOsborneandFoothillweresuspended.OnMarch7,ChiefGatesannouncedthattheofficerswouldbeprosecuted.Thenextday,DistrictAttorneyIraReinersaidthathewouldseekindictmentsfromagrandjury.Withinaweek,thegrandjury——afterwatchingthevideotapeandlisteningtotestimonyfromKingandothers——returnedindictmentsagainstOfficersKoon,Powell,Briseno,andWind.

　　Initially,fewpeopleconsideredraceanissueintheKingbeating.EvenKing'sownattorney,StevenLerman,agreedwiththatassessment.ButrevelationsconcerningPowell's"GorillasintheMist"messagechangedthings.LosAngelesMayorTomBradleydeclared,"ThereappearstobeadangeroustrendofraciallymotivatedincidentsrunningthroughatleastsomesegmentsofthePoliceDepartment."BradleyappointedacommissionheadedbyWarrenChristopher（laterSecretaryofStateunderPresidentClinton）toinvestigateLAPDpracticesandmakerecommendationsforreform.ThemayoralsoaskedfortheresignationofChiefGates,butGatesrefused.

　　Attorneysforthefourofficers,meanwhile,focusedtheirattentiononmovingtheupcomingtrialoutofLosAngelesCounty.Prosecutorsseemedrelativelyunconcernedaboutthedefensemotionforachangeofvenue,contentintheknowledgethatsuchmotionstendedtofarepoorlyinCaliforniacourts.Indeed,onMay16,trialjudgeBernardKaminsdeniedthedefensemotion.

　　ThekeyvictoryforthedefensecameinJulywhentheCaliforniaCourtofAppealsunanimouslygrantedtheirchangeofvenuemotionandremovedJudgeKaminsfromthecaseonaccountofbias.TheCourt'sremovalofthejudgewasbasedonanexpartemessagehehadsenttoprosecutors."Don'tpanic,"Kaminshadsaid,"Youcantrustme."ThecasewasreassignedtoJudgeStanleyWeisberg.MoregoodnewsforthedefensecameinNovemberwhenJudgeWeisbergdecidedtoschedulethetrialinSimiValley,aconservativeandpredominantlywhitecitysetamidsttherollinghillsofVenturaCounty.ProsecutorsimmediatelyunderstoodthesignificanceofthetransfertoSimiValley.ChiefDeputyoftheSpecialInvestigationsDivisionintheDistrictAttorney'sOffice,RogerGunson,saidlaterabouthearingthenews:

"Ihaveneverbeensohorrifiedinmylife."

　　TheStateTrialinSimiValley

　　Bothsidesunderstoodthatjuryselectioncouldbecriticaltothetrialoutcome.Theprosecutionwouldhavelovedtoseatsomeblacks——whotendtobeskepticalofpolicepractices——