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March 3, 1991: Rodney King beating caught on video

On March 3rd, 1991, a bystander took video of Rodney King being savagely beaten by four LAPD officer
On this day: Camera rolls as Rodney King beaten by LAPD 02:33

On March 3, 1991, four police officers were filmed beating taxi driver Rodney King after a pursuit through the streets of Los Angeles. The video shocked the city, and the events that followed shocked the nation.

It was one of the first police brutality videos of its kind, and forever changed the conversation about police and race in America.

King, who was intoxicated, had been caught speeding and initially tried to evade the police. When he finally pulled over and exited his car, multiple LAPD units and a helicopter were pursuing him.

Taken by bystander George Holliday from across the street, the footage shows four officers Tazing, kicking, and hitting King with their batons upwards of 53 times.

"King claims, and several witnesses support him, that he never resisted," CBS News correspondent Jerry Bowen reported a few days later.

"Twenty-five-year-old Rodney King showed his injuries to reporters -- the bruises, broken leg, and the scar from the stun gun which jolted him with 50,000 bolt shocks," Bowen said on the night King was released from jail.

The officers involved, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno and Stacey Koon, were put on trial and acquitted by a majority white jury in April of 1992. The following three days were marred by riots, looting, arson, and extreme violence across the city of Los Angeles.

Rodney King himself held a press conference during the turmoil, begging the public "can we all get along." By the time the riots ended, 55 people were dead and more than 2,000 were injured.

King later settled a civil suit with the city of Los Angeles for $3.8 million. He went on to live a relatively quiet life, but had a number of run-ins with the law as the years went on -- including a DUI in 2011. In 2012, he drowned in his backyard pool.

In the years since, with the rise of smart phones and social media, videos depicting instances of police violence against people of color have only become more common.

History seemed to repeat itself in 2014, when the aftermath of Michael Brown's killing by a white police officer led to riots in Ferguson, Missouri. The demonstrations that consumed the city also re-ignited the conversation about police violence in communities of color, and sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

That anger boiled over to New York, after the officer who was seen on video putting Eric Garner in a choke-hold before his death, was not indicted by a grand jury. Months later, protests began in Baltimore after video surfaced of Freddie Gray being apparently mishandled by police before his death.

Those are just two of the instances caught on video involving police and black citizens that have caused a widespread debate about policing in America over the past two years.

Activists have called for all officers to be outfitted with body cameras -- which a number of departments across the country have done -- and for police to build better relationships with the communities in which they serve.

DOJ to fund $20M police body camera program 02:12

In May of last year, the Justice Department announced it would give $20 million to fund a body camera program for police departments in an effort to protect both police and civilians.

Some police departments are also increasing their efforts for community policing. For example -- the Camden, New Jersey Police Department overhauled their program in recent years, with some officers even knocking on doors to introduce themselves to residents.

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