Taped Beating of Rodney King

On behalf of the Los Angeles Urban League, we are outraged over the sadistic and barbaric incident involving the police mob that brutalized Rodney Glen King.

The only acceptable course of action is to fire all of them--the three animals who savagely beat King and also the sergeant and others who stood around as cheerleaders. The video and eyewitnesses provided the necessary evidence.

In addition to their terminations, the Urban League urges that criminal charges be brought against all of the officers, i.e., those who stood by and did nothing to restrain their cohorts, because they are co-conspirators and parties to the crime.

The Urban League is alarmed over an apparent trend of racist brutality particularly against African-American males.

We recently transmitted a written complaint to the Police Department regarding another less violent, but nevertheless very serious and racist act of police harassment inflicted against Jamaal Wilkes by two other police officers. There are major factual discrepancies between Wilkes’ version of the incident in contrast to the officers, who apparently provided false accounts in an attempt to cover themselves. The LAPD administrative action, to date, remains unacceptable.

It appears that increasing numbers of Los Angeles police officers have declared open season on anyone with a black face and feel that they can get away with it. They must understand that this vigilante and Ku Klux Klan behavior will not be tolerated. It also points out the need for better training, especially along racial and cultural lines.

JOHN W. MACK, President

Los Angeles Urban League