On April 29, 1992 South Central Los Angeles erupted in rage after a jury acquitted four white LAPD officers of beating Rodney King, a black man. Looters and rioters added to the chaos before the National Guard was called in. The reaction of residents to the verdict sparked protests and debates in Los Angeles and across the country.
Watch NBC4's original coverage of the event as well as reflections on previous anniversaries.
Helicopter Archive Cam Shows South LA in Flames
Aerial video showed fires over a widespread area just hours after a verdict was announced April 29, 1992 in the Rodney King trial. Archive Video: April 29, 1992
LA Police Department On the Move, In the Air
LAPD units stage at Parker Center just hours after verdict is announced in the Rodney King beating trial. This video originally aired April 29, 1992.
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The Youngest Victim: Baby Jessica's Scar
Elvira Evers was 38 weeks pregnant when she was shot in the abdomen during the 1992 riots. The bullet was lodged into her unborn baby’s elbow, but she and her baby Jessica survived.
Riot Beating Victim Reginald Denny on Why Rioters Were So Angry
On April 29, 1992, Reginald Denny was nearly beaten to death at the intersection of Florence and Normandie. In 2002, he revealed his opinions about the 4 men who attacked him. (interview from 2002)
Into the Violence: On the Streets with Rioters and Officers
Dramatic footage of the looting, rioting and flames that took over South Central Los Angeles in the aftermath of the Rodney King trial.
Good Samaritans in the Riots: Reginald Denny's Rescuers
Edward Lee was the only Korean killed during the LA Riots. Titus Murphy was one of the four good Samaritans who ran to aid Reginald Denny at the outbreak of the riots at Florence and Normandie.
'The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back'
Filmmaker Mathew McDaniel says when the Rodney King verdict came back not guilty, the African American community in South L.A. was “afraid that was a license for police to keep getting away with it.” That verdict…
Daytime Footage Shows Carnage in Broad Daylight
Twenty-five years later, relive the chaos of the LA riots that took place in broad daylight.
Rodney King in His Own Words: The One-on-One Interview
Rodney King, the man whose videotaped beating set off a chain of events that changed Los Angeles, looks back on the last 20 years. Colleen Williams talks with him for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on April 26, 2012.
Rarely Seen Video Shot by the LAPD
A new documentary shows the 1992 LA riots as you've never seen them before. Beverly White reports for the NBC4 News at 11 on Sunday, April 23, 2017.
