Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Coroner finds King drowned while high

By: Anthony McCartney

Posted: 08/24/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Matt Sayles / The Associated Press archives Rodney King's beating led to deadly riots. (CP)

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- Rodney King had been drinking and was on drugs when he plunged into a swimming pool and accidentally drowned in June, a coroner's report released Thursday concludes.

King was the black motorist videotaped being severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers in 1991. The officers' acquittal triggered the devastating and deadly 1992 Los Angeles riot.

The report confirmed a previous police conclusion that King died by accident, and the case will be closed, Rialto police Capt. Randy DeAnda said. King had long struggled with addiction.

A call from King's fiancée brought police to his Rialto home at 5:30 a.m. on June 17. Officers pulled him from the bottom of the pool, and he was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Cynthia Kelley said she was in bed and woke up to see King at a patio door.

"She described him making grunting and growling sounds and having frothy secretions coming from his mouth," the report states.

When King fell over a planter, Kelley went to call for help. She heard a splash and when she got to the pool, King was face down in the deep end. Kelley couldn't swim and couldn't reach him.

The coroner's report listed the cause of death as drowning "and the contributing cause was combined with ethanol (alcohol) and multiple drug toxicity," DeAnda said. Toxicology tests found King had a blood-alcohol level of .06 and PCP, cocaine and marijuana in his system, he said.

In March 1991, King, then 25, led police on a high-speed chase. After he was stopped, four Los Angeles officers were videotaped hitting him with batons, kicking him and firing stun guns at him. He suffered 11 skull fractures, a broken eye socket and facial nerve damage.

A jury with no black members acquitted three of the officers and a mistrial was declared for the fourth. Within hours, Los Angeles was engulfed in violence and flames. Fifty-five people died, more than 2,000 were injured and more than $1 billion in damage was done.

At the height of the rioting, King made his famous plea for peace, saying, "Can we all get along?"

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 24, 2012 A20

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.