Mayor Eric Garcetti References Rodney King In Remarks On Tuesday About Derek Chauvin Verdict
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - On Tuesday, Mayor Eric Garcetti reacted to the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis Police Officer found guilt on three counts in the murder of George Floyd.
In his remarks, the mayor referenced the trial of four Los Angeles Police Officers who were videotaped beating Rodney King in March of 1991. When the officers involved in the King beating were acquitted a year later of excessive use of force by a jury in Ventura County, five days of rioting ensued in Los Angeles, resulting in 54 deaths, some 2,400 injuries, scores of destroyed buildings and other property damage, and more than 12,000 arrests. The acquitted police officers were later convicted of violating Rodney King's civil rights in a federal court trial.
"All of us who lived through Rodney King, I think woke up with our darkest fears this morning," Mayor Garcetti said. "It's difficult to describe my emotions because there's no joy in this verdict. And there's no celebration in it, but just the breathing, the exhaling that comes from this moment to me, I think does signal the beginning of something turning."
The mayor said he believes this last year has been a turning point for the country, even if many people still disagree with one another, saying that something has shifted for the better and more accountable. He also added that he believes the city's budget reflects that change.
"But tomorrow's chapter begins with many of the same challenges that we've faced for a long, long time," Garcetti said. "And I hope we can meet them with as much passion as we saw in the almost 100% unified voice that called for justice today for George Floyd."