L.A. riots follow police acquittals

April 29, 1992: Violence erupted in Los Angeles after four white police officers were acquitted in the beating of a black motorist, Rodney G. King. On the night of the acquittals, “mobs ignited fires, beat motorists and looted stores and offices,” and four deaths and at least 106 injuries were linked to the riots, The Times reported. “Gov. Pete Wilson ordered the National Guard to report for duty as scattered demonstrations evolved into the city’s largest riot since Watts erupted in flames in 1965,” the newspaper said. “In a drama that unfolded on live television, violence erupted first at the intersection of Florence Boulevard and Normandie Avenue in South-Central Los Angeles and radiated to areas throughout the city.”