Los Angeles erupts after officers are acquitted in Rodney King beating

A jury acquits four Los Angeles police officers on April 29, 1992, in the videotaped beating of Rodney King. The verdict sparks days of unrest in Los Angeles, leaving dozens dead and thousands injured or arrested. The case exposes national anger over police brutality and unequal treatment of Black residents by law enforcement. Federal prosecutors later bring civil rights charges, and two officers are convicted in 1993. The videotaped beating and the reaction to the acquittals become a defining modern moment in debates over police violence, race, and accountability.