Cameraman at King Beating Says Riots Stunned Him

George Holliday, the man who took perhaps the most famous home video of all time, was left stunned by the violence that swept the city after the not guilty verdicts for the officers he videotaped as they beat Rodney G. King.

He found himself asking whether he somehow was responsible for the destructive rage unleashed after the verdicts, and anonymous callers told him as much.

But with the comfort of friends, family and even strangers who recognize him on the street, Holliday has been able to deal with what happened, he said.

“I did feel guilty,” the plumbing shop manager said this week in his first interview since the verdict. “I felt it was all my fault--especially when people started getting killed. But I can’t blame myself. . . . I’m just the guy who took the video.”

After appearing as the first witness in the trial of the officers accused of beating King, he paid little attention to the court proceedings because of the 12-hour days he puts in at work.

But Holliday, 32, did begin watching television nonstop April 29 after a co-worker came into his office and announced the not guilty verdicts. “I was surprised,” Holliday said. “I did sleep that night but it took a while.”

He said he is planning to use his name and his tape to help heal the community. One idea is to sell shirts, hats and buttons with images from the video beating on them, with a portion of the proceeds going to relief organizations in South Los Angeles.

“I like the concept of helping people” with the videotape, Holliday said. “How do you say that so it doesn’t have the overtone” of opportunism?