The Rodney King riots, also widely known as the 1992 Los Angeles riots, took place over five days from April 29 to May 3, 1992, in Los Angeles, California.

Quick Scoop

  • The unrest began on April 29, 1992, just hours after a jury acquitted four LAPD officers charged in the beating of Rodney King.
  • The riots continued into early May, with most sources marking the main period as April 29–May 3, 1992.
  • Violence, arson, and looting spread across large parts of Los Angeles, making it one of the most destructive urban uprisings in late 20th-century U.S. history.

Timeline Highlights

  • March 1991: Rodney King is brutally beaten by LAPD officers, an incident captured on home video and broadcast nationwide, fueling anger over police brutality.
  • April 29, 1992 (afternoon): The not-guilty verdicts are announced; protests quickly turn into street violence in South Central Los Angeles that evening.
  • May 1–3, 1992: National Guard, federal troops, and riot-trained officers are deployed; Rodney King appears on TV on May 1, famously pleading, “Can we all get along?”

Impact and Aftermath

  • More than 50 people were killed and over 2,000 injured during the riots, with property damage estimated at around 1 billion dollars.
  • The events intensified national debates on police brutality, race, and inequality, and they are still cited in current discussions about policing and civil unrest in the United States.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.