How did Rodney King die? Tyre Nichols' arrest compared to LAPD assault of 1991 victim of police brutality
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MEMPHIS, TENNESSE : The death of Tyre Nichols on January 10, followed by gruesome beating by Memphis cops three days earlier has been compared to Rodney King's assault by police officers in 1991. Nichols lawyer Ben Crump compared the two cases of alleged police brutality and said, “Regrettably, it reminded us of (the) Rodney King video.” "Appalling, heinous, violent and troublesome,” he added. This comparision has caused a rise in interest in what happened to King and how he died.
Earlier this month, the 29-year-old man died after reportedly being assaulted by five police officers who were conducting a traffic stop at the time. On January 27, the Memphis Police Department released the video of the brutal arrest that took place on January 7, Nichols died three days later, and five officers have been charged with his murder.
Nichols' death has also been compared to that of George Floyd who died on May 25, 2020. In an initial press release by Memphis police, Nichols “complained of having a shortness of breath." While Floyd's last words were, "I can't breath." Floyd died due lack of oxygen while an LAPD police officer knelt on his neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. Nichols has also been said to have experienced the same while he was being brutally beaten and held by officers.
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CJ Davis, Mayor of Memphis, also drew a comparison and said the brutality on Nichols was “about the same if not worse’’ than that of King. She added, Nichols’ beating is “very much aligned with’’ that level of violence.
Rodney King's beating by LAPD in 1991
King was beaten by the police on March 3, 1991, after his arrest for driving while intoxicated. A bystander named George Holliday, filmed the incident from his balcony and sent the video to a news station. The video showed that King was unarmed and on the ground, being savagely beaten by cops after cops said he resisted arrest. The incident immediatly went viral and was covered by news channels across the world and caused fury among the public. After the beating, King was taken to the hospital and he alleged that he suffered 11 skull fractures, permanent brain damage, broken bones and teeth and kidney failure.
Aftermath of beating
The Los Angeles County District Attorney charged four police officers and one sergeant with assault and use of excessive force. Later in the trial, the jury acquitted all four officers of assault and acquitted three of the four of using excessive force. King sued the city for damages and was awarded $3.8 million, as well as $1.7 million in attorney's fees. King was not charged for driving while intoxicated since there was not enough evidence for procecution.
How did Rodney King die?
King died in June 17, 2012 from drowning. His wife, Cynthia Kelley, found him dead underwater at the bottom of his swimming pool. King's autopsy results released on August 23, 2012, stated that he died of accidental drowning. A combination of alcohol, cocaine, and PCP was found in his system and were the contributing factors, as were cardiomegaly and focal myocardial fibrosis. The report stated, "The effects of the drugs and alcohol, combined with the subject's heart condition, probably precipitated a cardiac arrhythmia, and the subject, incapacitated in the water, was unable to save himself."
What's next for Memphis police officers?
All five officers involved in the death of Tyre Nichols, each face two counts of official misconduct, one count of official oppression, one count of second-degree murder, one count of aggravated assault and two counts of aggravated kidnapping. They had been booked into Shelby County Jail on January 26 but the court records show that all five got out on bond on January 27. Bond for Bean, Mills and Smith was set at $250,000 while bond for Haley and Martin was set at $350,000, as reported by Fox 18.