₦airaland Forum

Noise! Noise! Noise! Boko Haram never even come una take warning they cover fear. abeg make we hear word.

samkoro: U see what ignorance and prejudice does.Tribalism is self destructive.Had it been he went to owerri,he would have forgoten his Yoruba land in two weeks.Enjoyment would brain wash him and IfA priest from yorubaland will come to his rescue.

As a matter of fact,Owerri,Enugu,Calabar are the most civil and hospitable place to be.

That guy is a bush man ,that's why he is so timid.

That might be the best opportunity he could have in his life

The mugu no dO N.Y.S.C? Na wah to am oh!

samkoro: U see what ignorance and prejudice does.Tribalism is self destructive.Had it been he went to owerri,he would have forgoten his Yoruba land in two weeks.Enjoyment would brain wash him and IfA priest from yorubaland will come to his rescue.

As a matter of fact,Owerri,Enugu,Calabar are the most civil and hospitable place to be.

That guy is a bush man ,that's why he is so timid.

That might be the best opportunity he could have in his life

The mugu no dO N.Y.S.C? Na wah to am oh!

Which Bank wen Hausa Fulani dey control nah?

There is this vehicle sticker U.N.N Graduates usually display and it says " THE U.N.N GRADUATE IS ALWAYS AHEAD OF YOU, NATURALLY". But nobody made me understand that being ahead here had a negative connotation. Past glory if you ask me. [color=#000000][/color]

So what else is new?

Rodney King
Last updated 7 minutes agoFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search This article is about a person who has recently died. Some information, such as that pertaining to the circumstances of the person's death and surrounding events, may change as more facts become known.
Rodney Glen King
Born Rodney Glen King
(1965-04-02)April 2, 1965
Sacramento, California
Died June 17, 2012(2012-06-17) (aged 47)[1]
Rialto, California
Nationality American
Ethnicity African-American
Known for Victim of civil rights violation involving police brutality
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2]
Criminal charge Robbery
Criminal penalty 2 years
Partner Cynthia Kelley (engaged)[3]
Children 3
Parents Ronald King (deceased)
Odessa King

Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965 – June 17, 2012)[1] was the victim in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on March 3, 1991. A bystander, George Holliday, videotaped much of the incident from a distance.

The footage showed seven officers surrounding the solitary King, with several LAPD officers repeatedly striking a helpless King with their batons while the other officers stood by watching, without taking any action to stop the beating. A portion of this footage was aired by news agencies around the world, causing public outrage that increased tension between the local black community and the LAPD and increased anger over police brutality, racism and social inequalities in Los Angeles.

Four LAPD officers were later tried in a state court for the beating; three were acquitted and the jury failed to reach a verdict for the fourth. The announcement of the acquittals sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots. A later federal trial for civil rights violations ended with two of the officers found guilty and sent to prison and the other two officers acquitted.

Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Incident
2.1 High speed chase
2.2 Confrontation
2.3 Use of the Taser
2.4 Beating with batons: events on the Holliday video
3 Post-arrest events
4 The officers
5 Los Angeles riots and the aftermath
6 Federal trial of officers
7 Later life
8 Death
9 See also
10 Notes
11 References
12 External links


Early lifeKing was born in Sacramento, California, to Odessa King, who had four other children. His father died at age 42. King grew up in Pasadena, California.[4]

In November 1989, King robbed a store in Monterey Park, California. He threatened to hit the Korean store owner with an iron bar he was carrying, then hit him with a pole. King stole US$200 in the robbery. He was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment.[4]

At the time of the beating, King was twice divorced and had three children.[4] His ex-wives were (firstly) Crystal Waters and Danetta.[5]

IncidentHigh speed chaseOn the night of March 2, 1991, King and two passengers, Bryant Allen and Freddie Helms, were driving west on Foothill Freeway (Interstate 210) in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. Prior to driving on the Foothill Freeway, the three men had spent the night watching a basketball game and drinking at a friend's house in Los Angeles.[6] After being tested five hours after the incident, King's blood-alcohol level was found to be just under the legal limit. This meant that his blood alcohol level can be estimated at approximately 0.19—which is almost two and a half times the legal limit in California—when he was driving.[7] At 12:30 am, Officers Tim and Melanie Singer, a husband-and-wife duo of the California Highway Patrol, spotted King's car speeding. The officers then pursued King at high speeds, though the exact speed of the car is disputed. The initial police report stated that King had reached a speed of 117 miles per hour, but an LAPD officer later told reporters that the exact speed of King's car was closer to 90 miles per hour.[8][9] According to King's own statements, he refused to pull the car over because he thought a driving under the influence test would violate his parole for a previous robbery conviction.[10]

King exited the freeway, and the chase continued through residential streets at speeds allegedly ranging from 55 to 80 mph.[11][12] By this point, several police cars and a helicopter had joined in the pursuit. After approximately eight miles, officers cornered King's car. The first five LAPD officers to arrive at the scene were Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno and Rolando Solano.

Confrontation
Screenshots of King lying down and being approached by LAPD officersOfficer Tim Singer ordered King and his two passengers to exit the vehicle and lie face down on the ground. The two passengers complied and were taken into custody without incident.[6] King initially remained in the car. When he finally did emerge, he acted bizarrely: giggling; patting the ground; and waving to the police helicopter overhead.[12] King then grabbed his buttocks. Officer Melanie Singer momentarily thought he was reaching for a gun.[13] She drew her gun and pointed it at King, ordering him to lie on the ground. King complied. Singer approached King with her gun drawn, preparing to make the arrest.

At this point, Sergeant Stacey Koon intervened and ordered Officer Melanie Singer to holster her weapon. LAPD officers are taught not to approach a suspect with a drawn gun, as there is a risk of the suspect gaining control of it if they get too close.[14] Koon then ordered the four other LAPD officers at the scene—Briseno, Powell, Solano and Wind—to subdue and handcuff King in a manner called a "swarm", a technique that involves multiple officers grabbing a suspect with empty hands. As the officers attempted to do so, King physically resisted. King rose up, tossing Officers Powell and Briseno off his back. King then struck Officer Briseno in the chest.[15] Seeing this, Koon ordered all of the officers to fall back. The officers later testified that they believed King was under the influence of the dissociative drug phencyclidine (PCP).[16] King's toxicology results tested negative for PCP.[17]

Use of the TaserSergeant Koon then ordered the officers to "stand clear." King was standing and was not responding to Koon's commands. Koon then fired a Taser into King's back. King groaned; momentarily fell to his knees; then stood back and yelled for almost five seconds".[18]

Beating with batons: events on the Holliday video
Screenshot of King being beaten by LAPD officersAs George Holliday's videotape begins, King is on the ground. He rises and moves toward Powell. (Solano termed it a "lunge," and said it was in the direction of Koon.)[18] At this time, taser wires can be seen coming from King's body. As King moves forward, Officer Powell strikes King with his baton. The blow hits King's head, knocking him to the ground immediately.[19] Powell hits King several additional times with his baton. The videotape shows Briseno moving in to try and stop Powell from swinging, and Powell then backing up. (Koon reportedly yelled "that's enough." King then rises to his knees; Powell and Wind continue to hit King with their batons while he is on the ground.[20]

Koon acknowledged that he ordered the baton blows, directing Powell and Wind to hit King with "power strokes." According to Koon, Powell and Wind used "bursts of power strokes, then backed off." The videotape shows King apparently continuing to try to get up. Koon orders the officers to "hit his joints, hit the wrists, hit his elbows, hit his knees, hit his ankles."[20] Finally, after 56 baton blows and six kicks, five or six officers swarm in and place King in both handcuffs and cordcuffs, restraining his arms and legs. King is dragged on his stomach to the side of the road to await arrival of a rescue ambulance.[20]

Unseen by those involved, George Holliday, a private citizen, caught the lengthy beating on video from his apartment near the intersection of Foothill Blvd and Osborne St. in Lake View Terrace. He contacted the police about a videotape of the incident but was dismissed. He then went to KTLA television with his videotape, which broadcast it on air in its entirety.[21] The footage became a media sensation. Portions of it were aired hundreds, if not thousands, of times around the world, and it "turned what would otherwise have been a violent, but soon forgotten, encounter between Los Angeles police and Rodney King into one of the most widely watched and discussed incidents of its kind."[22]

The video of the beating is an example of sousveillance — that is, of citizens watching police. Several copwatch organizations were subsequently organized nationally to safeguard against police abuse, including an umbrella group, October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality.[23]

Post-arrest eventsKing was taken to Pacifica Hospital immediately after his arrest. He suffered a fractured facial bone, a broken right ankle, and numerous bruises and lacerations.[24] In a negligence claim filed with the city, King alleged he had suffered "11 skull fractures, permanent brain damage, broken [bones and teeth], kidney damage [and] emotional and physical trauma."[25] Blood and urine samples taken from King five hours after his arrest showed that he could be presumed intoxicated under California law. The tests also showed traces of marijuana (26 ng/ml), but no indication of PCP or any other illegal drug.[25] At Pacifica Hospital, where King was taken for initial treatment, nurses reported that the officers who accompanied King (including Wind) openly joked and bragged about the number of times King had been hit.[26] King sued the city over the beating, settling for $3.8 million.[27]

The officersThe Los Angeles district attorney charged officers Koon, Powell, Briseno and Wind with use of excessive force. While Sergeant Koon did not strike King and had only used the Taser, he was the supervisory officer at the scene and was charged for "willfully permitting and failing to take action to stop the unlawful assault." The initial judge was replaced, and the new judge changed the venue, as well as the jury pool, citing contamination of the jury pool by the media coverage. The new venue was a new courthouse in Simi Valley in neighboring Ventura County. The jury consisted of Ventura County residents—ten white, one Latino and one Asian. The prosecutor, Terry White, was African American. On April 29, 1992, the jury acquitted three of the officers, but could not agree about one of the charges for Powell.[6]

Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley said, "the jury's verdict will not blind us to what we saw on that videotape. The men who beat Rodney King do not deserve to wear the uniform of the L.A.P.D."[28] President George H. W. Bush said, "viewed from outside the trial, it was hard to understand how the verdict could possibly square with the video. Those civil rights leaders with whom I met were stunned. And so was I and so was Barbara and so were my kids."[29]

Los Angeles riots and the aftermathMain article: 1992 Los Angeles riots
The news of acquittal triggered the Los Angeles riots of 1992. By the time the police, the U.S. Army, Marines and National Guard restored order, the casualties included 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries, more than 7,000 fires, damages to 3,100 businesses, and nearly $1 billion in financial losses. Smaller riots occurred in other cities such as San Francisco, Las Vegas in neighboring Nevada and as far east as Atlanta, Georgia.

Federal trial of officersAfter the riots, the United States Department of Justice reinstated the investigation and obtained an indictment of violations of federal civil rights against the four officers in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The federal trial focused more on the evidence as to the training of officers instead of just relying on the videotape of the incident. On March 9 of the 1993 trial, King took the witness stand and described to the jury the events as he remembered them.[30] The jury found Officer Laurence Powell and Sergeant Stacey Koon guilty, and they were subsequently sentenced to 32 months in prison, while Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseño were acquitted of all charges.[6]

Later lifeIn 1993, King entered an alcohol rehabilitation program and was placed on probation after crashing his vehicle into a block wall in downtown Los Angeles. In July 1995, he was arrested by Alhambra police, who alleged that he hit his wife with his car, knocking her to the ground. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail after being convicted of hit and run.[31] On August 27, 2003, King was arrested again for speeding and running a red light while under the influence of alcohol. He failed to yield to police officers and slammed his vehicle into a house, breaking his pelvis.[32] On November 29, 2007, while riding home on his bicycle, King was shot in the face, arms, and back with pellets from a shotgun. He reported that it was done by a man and a woman who demanded his bicycle and shot him when he rode away.[31] Police described the wounds as looking like they came from birdshot, and said King offered few details about the suspects. In May 2008 King checked into the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California, which was filmed as part of the second season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which premiered in October 2008. Dr. Drew Pinsky, who runs the facility, showed concern for King's lifestyle and said that King would die unless his addiction was treated.[33] He also appeared on Sober House, a Celebrity Rehab spin-off focusing on a sober living environment, which aired in early 2009. Both shows filmed King's quest not only to achieve sobriety, but to reestablish a relationship with his family, which had been severely damaged due to his drinking.[34]

During his time on Celebrity Rehab and Sober House, King worked not only on his addiction, but on the lingering trauma of the beating. He and Pinsky retraced his path from the night of his beating, eventually reaching the spot where it happened, the site of the Children's Museum of Los Angeles.[35]

King won[36] a celebrity boxing match against ex-Chester City (Delaware County, Pennsylvania) police officer Simon Aouad on Friday, September 11, 2009, at the Ramada Philadelphia Airport in Essington, Pennsylvania.[37]

In 2009, King and other alumni of Celebrity Rehab appeared as panel speakers to a new group of addicts at the Pasadena Recovery Center, marking 11 months of sobriety for him. His appearance was aired in the third season episode "Triggers".[38]

On September 9, 2010, it was confirmed that King was to marry Cynthia Kelley, who was a juror in the civil suit he brought against the City of Los Angeles.[39]

On March 3, 2011, King was stopped by Los Angeles police for driving erratically. He was issued a citation for driving with an expired license.[40][41][42] This arrest led to his February 2012 misdemeanor conviction for reckless driving.[43]

On April 12, 2012, King released a statement to the media regarding the Trayvon Martin shooting. King said he was "grieving for Trayvon Martin" and stated how the scream on the audio of George Zimmerman's 911 call reminded him of his own screaming during his beating by the LAPD.[44]

DeathOn June 17, 2012, King's fiancée Cynthia Kelly found him dead in his swimming pool. Police in Rialto received a 911 call from Kelly at about 5:25 am. Responding officers found King at the bottom of the pool, removed him, and attempted to revive him. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The Rialto Police Department began a standard drowning investigation, and stated that there did not appear to be any foul play, particularly noting King's self admitted problems with drinking. The Rialto Police promised a complete investigation.[45][46][47]

See also Los Angeles portal
African American portal
Latasha Harlins
Trayvon Martin



Notes1.^ a b CNN Wire Staff (17 June 2012). "Rodney King dead at 47". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/17/us/obit-rodney-king/index.html. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
2.^ "Rodney King Height". Talltask.com. http://www.talltask.com/Rodney-King-height-8525.html. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
3.^ "Rodney King to marry juror from LA police beating case". BBC News. September 9, 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11245542.
4.^ a b c Independent profile
5.^ "Rodney King". BuddyTV.com. http://www.buddytv.com/info/rodney-king-info.aspx. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
6.^ a b c d Linder, Douglas (December 2001). "The Rodney King Beating Trials". JURIST. http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/trials24.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
7.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 39.
8.^ http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/lapd/lapdaccount.html
9.^ Koon v. United States 518 U.S. 81 (1996)
10.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 43.
11.^ Stevenson, Richard W.; Egan, Timothy (March 18, 1991). "Seven Minutes in Los Angeles – A special report.; Videotaped Beating by Officers Puts Full Glare on Brutality Issue". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5DE1539F93BA25750C0A967958260. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
12.^ a b Whitman, David (May 23, 1993). "US News and World Report: May 23, 1993, The Untold Story of the LA Riot". U.S. News & World Report. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/930531/archive_015229.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
13.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 27.
14.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 28.
15.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 31.
16.^ Cannon. Official Negligence:[page needed]
17.^ Cannon, Lou (March 16, 1993). "Prosecution Rests Case in Rodney King Beating". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
18.^ a b "Chapter 1: The Rodney King Beating". Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department: p. 6. 1991.
19.^ "Chapter 1: The Rodney King Beating". Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department: p. 7. 1991. "The blow hit King's head, and he went down immediately."
20.^ a b c "Chapter 1: The Rodney King Beating". Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department: p. 7. 1991.
21.^ Michael Goldstein (February 19, 2006), The Other Beating, Los Angeles Times
22.^ [1]
23.^ PBS.org and the ACLU [2] draw connections between the event and the subsequent activities of many organizations.
24.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 205.
25.^ a b "Chapter 1: The Rodney King Beating". Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department: p. 8. 1991.
26.^ "Chapter 1: The Rodney King Beating". Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department: p. 15. 1991.
27.^ http://articles.latimes.com/2005/sep/30/local/me-king30
28.^ Mydans, Seth (April 30, 1992). "The Police Verdict; Los Angeles Policemen Acquitted in Taped Beating". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
29.^ Fiske, John "Media matters: race and gender in U.S. politics" page 188, "Bush on LA, extracts from his speech to the nation, May 1st, 1992".
30.^ Mydans, Seth (March 10, 2003). "Rodney King Testifies on Beating: 'I Was Just Trying to Stay Alive'". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/10/us/rodney-king-testifies-on-beating-i-was-just-trying-to-stay-alive.html. Retrieved March 5, 2009.
31.^ a b Reston, Maeve (November 30, 2007). "Rodney King shot while riding bike". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
32.^ "Rodney King slams SUV into house, breaks pelvis". CNN. April 16, 2003. Archived from the original on 2007-12-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20071211205000/http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/04/15/rodney.king.ap/.
33.^ TV Guide: page 8. June 23, 2008.
34.^ "Sober House Will Follow Celebrity Rehab Cast, Andy Dick in Sober Living". RealityBlurred.com. December 19, 2008.
35.^ Thompson, Elise. "Rodney King Forgives Officers Who Beat Him — LAist". http://laist.com/2009/02/22/rodney_king_forgives.php. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
36.^ "Rodney King Fight Results". BittenAndBound.com. September 12, 2009.
37.^ Stamm, Dan (August 19, 2009). "No Plan to 'Get Along' When Rodney King Takes on Former Cop". NBC Philadelphia. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
38.^ Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Episode 3.6 ("Triggers" VH1; February 11, 2010
39.^ Rodney King to marry juror from LA police beating case
40.^ "L.A. Now". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/03/rodney-king-stopped.html.
41.^ http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_17540843
42.^ Hartley-Parkinson, Richard (July 13, 2011). "CNN". CNN (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1362952/Rodney-King-arrested-skipping-red-light-20-years-LA-riots.html.
43.^ Stan Wilson (April 12, 2012). "Rodney King pleads for calm in Trayvon Martin case". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/12/us/trayvon-case-rodney-king/?hpt=hp_t1. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
44.^ "Rodney King: "I'm grieving for Trayvon Martin"". Los Angeles Times. April 12, 2012. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/rodney-king-speaks-out-on-trayvon-martin.html.
45.^ "Rodney King dead at 47". CNN. June 17,2012. http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/17/us/obit-rodney-king/index.html.
46.^ http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/17/us/obit-rodney-king/index.html CNN This Just In
47.^ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/06/rodney-king-whose-beating-by-los-angeles-police-helped-spark-the-1992-los-angeles-riots-died-sunday-at-his-home-in-rialto.html
ReferencesThe "Rodney King Beating video" is under copyright. For authorization contact www.rodneykingvideo.com.ar
Cannon, Lou (1999). Official Negligence: How Rodney King and the riots changed Los Angeles and the LAPD. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press. ISBN 0-8133-3725-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=C0tWztU6f0sC&printsec=frontcover&cad=0.
External links Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rodney King

Rodney King at Find a Grave
Rodney King at the Internet Movie Database
Rodney King: 17 Years After The Riots", Laist.com
Salon: "Rethinking Rodney King", Salon.com
Court TV: Rodney King's Legacy, Courttv.com
Kavanagh, Jim. "Rodney King, 20 years later." CNN. March 3, 2011.
Persondata
Name King, Rodney Glen
Alternative names King, Rodney
Short description Victim of police brutality
Date of birth April 2, 1965
Place of birth Sacramento, California
Date of death
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Last updated 7 minutes agoFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search This article is about a person who has recently died. Some information, such as that pertaining to the circumstances of the person's death and surrounding events, may change as more facts become known.
Rodney Glen King
Born Rodney Glen King
(1965-04-02)April 2, 1965
Sacramento, California
Died June 17, 2012(2012-06-17) (aged 47)[1]
Rialto, California
Nationality American
Ethnicity African-American
Known for Victim of civil rights violation involving police brutality
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2]
Criminal charge Robbery
Criminal penalty 2 years
Partner Cynthia Kelley (engaged)[3]
Children 3
Parents Ronald King (deceased)
Odessa King

Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965 – June 17, 2012)[1] was the victim in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on March 3, 1991. A bystander, George Holliday, videotaped much of the incident from a distance.

The footage showed seven officers surrounding the solitary King, with several LAPD officers repeatedly striking a helpless King with their batons while the other officers stood by watching, without taking any action to stop the beating. A portion of this footage was aired by news agencies around the world, causing public outrage that increased tension between the local black community and the LAPD and increased anger over police brutality, racism and social inequalities in Los Angeles.

Four LAPD officers were later tried in a state court for the beating; three were acquitted and the jury failed to reach a verdict for the fourth. The announcement of the acquittals sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots. A later federal trial for civil rights violations ended with two of the officers found guilty and sent to prison and the other two officers acquitted.

Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Incident
2.1 High speed chase
2.2 Confrontation
2.3 Use of the Taser
2.4 Beating with batons: events on the Holliday video
3 Post-arrest events
4 The officers
5 Los Angeles riots and the aftermath
6 Federal trial of officers
7 Later life
8 Death
9 See also
10 Notes
11 References
12 External links


Early lifeKing was born in Sacramento, California, to Odessa King, who had four other children. His father died at age 42. King grew up in Pasadena, California.[4]

In November 1989, King robbed a store in Monterey Park, California. He threatened to hit the Korean store owner with an iron bar he was carrying, then hit him with a pole. King stole US$200 in the robbery. He was convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment.[4]

At the time of the beating, King was twice divorced and had three children.[4] His ex-wives were (firstly) Crystal Waters and Danetta.[5]

IncidentHigh speed chaseOn the night of March 2, 1991, King and two passengers, Bryant Allen and Freddie Helms, were driving west on Foothill Freeway (Interstate 210) in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. Prior to driving on the Foothill Freeway, the three men had spent the night watching a basketball game and drinking at a friend's house in Los Angeles.[6] After being tested five hours after the incident, King's blood-alcohol level was found to be just under the legal limit. This meant that his blood alcohol level can be estimated at approximately 0.19—which is almost two and a half times the legal limit in California—when he was driving.[7] At 12:30 am, Officers Tim and Melanie Singer, a husband-and-wife duo of the California Highway Patrol, spotted King's car speeding. The officers then pursued King at high speeds, though the exact speed of the car is disputed. The initial police report stated that King had reached a speed of 117 miles per hour, but an LAPD officer later told reporters that the exact speed of King's car was closer to 90 miles per hour.[8][9] According to King's own statements, he refused to pull the car over because he thought a driving under the influence test would violate his parole for a previous robbery conviction.[10]

King exited the freeway, and the chase continued through residential streets at speeds allegedly ranging from 55 to 80 mph.[11][12] By this point, several police cars and a helicopter had joined in the pursuit. After approximately eight miles, officers cornered King's car. The first five LAPD officers to arrive at the scene were Stacey Koon, Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno and Rolando Solano.

Confrontation
Screenshots of King lying down and being approached by LAPD officersOfficer Tim Singer ordered King and his two passengers to exit the vehicle and lie face down on the ground. The two passengers complied and were taken into custody without incident.[6] King initially remained in the car. When he finally did emerge, he acted bizarrely: giggling; patting the ground; and waving to the police helicopter overhead.[12] King then grabbed his buttocks. Officer Melanie Singer momentarily thought he was reaching for a gun.[13] She drew her gun and pointed it at King, ordering him to lie on the ground. King complied. Singer approached King with her gun drawn, preparing to make the arrest.

At this point, Sergeant Stacey Koon intervened and ordered Officer Melanie Singer to holster her weapon. LAPD officers are taught not to approach a suspect with a drawn gun, as there is a risk of the suspect gaining control of it if they get too close.[14] Koon then ordered the four other LAPD officers at the scene—Briseno, Powell, Solano and Wind—to subdue and handcuff King in a manner called a "swarm", a technique that involves multiple officers grabbing a suspect with empty hands. As the officers attempted to do so, King physically resisted. King rose up, tossing Officers Powell and Briseno off his back. King then struck Officer Briseno in the chest.[15] Seeing this, Koon ordered all of the officers to fall back. The officers later testified that they believed King was under the influence of the dissociative drug phencyclidine (PCP).[16] King's toxicology results tested negative for PCP.[17]

Use of the TaserSergeant Koon then ordered the officers to "stand clear." King was standing and was not responding to Koon's commands. Koon then fired a Taser into King's back. King groaned; momentarily fell to his knees; then stood back and yelled for almost five seconds".[18]

Beating with batons: events on the Holliday video
Screenshot of King being beaten by LAPD officersAs George Holliday's videotape begins, King is on the ground. He rises and moves toward Powell. (Solano termed it a "lunge," and said it was in the direction of Koon.)[18] At this time, taser wires can be seen coming from King's body. As King moves forward, Officer Powell strikes King with his baton. The blow hits King's head, knocking him to the ground immediately.[19] Powell hits King several additional times with his baton. The videotape shows Briseno moving in to try and stop Powell from swinging, and Powell then backing up. (Koon reportedly yelled "that's enough." King then rises to his knees; Powell and Wind continue to hit King with their batons while he is on the ground.[20]

Koon acknowledged that he ordered the baton blows, directing Powell and Wind to hit King with "power strokes." According to Koon, Powell and Wind used "bursts of power strokes, then backed off." The videotape shows King apparently continuing to try to get up. Koon orders the officers to "hit his joints, hit the wrists, hit his elbows, hit his knees, hit his ankles."[20] Finally, after 56 baton blows and six kicks, five or six officers swarm in and place King in both handcuffs and cordcuffs, restraining his arms and legs. King is dragged on his stomach to the side of the road to await arrival of a rescue ambulance.[20]

Unseen by those involved, George Holliday, a private citizen, caught the lengthy beating on video from his apartment near the intersection of Foothill Blvd and Osborne St. in Lake View Terrace. He contacted the police about a videotape of the incident but was dismissed. He then went to KTLA television with his videotape, which broadcast it on air in its entirety.[21] The footage became a media sensation. Portions of it were aired hundreds, if not thousands, of times around the world, and it "turned what would otherwise have been a violent, but soon forgotten, encounter between Los Angeles police and Rodney King into one of the most widely watched and discussed incidents of its kind."[22]

The video of the beating is an example of sousveillance — that is, of citizens watching police. Several copwatch organizations were subsequently organized nationally to safeguard against police abuse, including an umbrella group, October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality.[23]

Post-arrest eventsKing was taken to Pacifica Hospital immediately after his arrest. He suffered a fractured facial bone, a broken right ankle, and numerous bruises and lacerations.[24] In a negligence claim filed with the city, King alleged he had suffered "11 skull fractures, permanent brain damage, broken [bones and teeth], kidney damage [and] emotional and physical trauma."[25] Blood and urine samples taken from King five hours after his arrest showed that he could be presumed intoxicated under California law. The tests also showed traces of marijuana (26 ng/ml), but no indication of PCP or any other illegal drug.[25] At Pacifica Hospital, where King was taken for initial treatment, nurses reported that the officers who accompanied King (including Wind) openly joked and bragged about the number of times King had been hit.[26] King sued the city over the beating, settling for $3.8 million.[27]

The officersThe Los Angeles district attorney charged officers Koon, Powell, Briseno and Wind with use of excessive force. While Sergeant Koon did not strike King and had only used the Taser, he was the supervisory officer at the scene and was charged for "willfully permitting and failing to take action to stop the unlawful assault." The initial judge was replaced, and the new judge changed the venue, as well as the jury pool, citing contamination of the jury pool by the media coverage. The new venue was a new courthouse in Simi Valley in neighboring Ventura County. The jury consisted of Ventura County residents—ten white, one Latino and one Asian. The prosecutor, Terry White, was African American. On April 29, 1992, the jury acquitted three of the officers, but could not agree about one of the charges for Powell.[6]

Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley said, "the jury's verdict will not blind us to what we saw on that videotape. The men who beat Rodney King do not deserve to wear the uniform of the L.A.P.D."[28] President George H. W. Bush said, "viewed from outside the trial, it was hard to understand how the verdict could possibly square with the video. Those civil rights leaders with whom I met were stunned. And so was I and so was Barbara and so were my kids."[29]

Los Angeles riots and the aftermathMain article: 1992 Los Angeles riots
The news of acquittal triggered the Los Angeles riots of 1992. By the time the police, the U.S. Army, Marines and National Guard restored order, the casualties included 53 deaths, 2,383 injuries, more than 7,000 fires, damages to 3,100 businesses, and nearly $1 billion in financial losses. Smaller riots occurred in other cities such as San Francisco, Las Vegas in neighboring Nevada and as far east as Atlanta, Georgia.

Federal trial of officersAfter the riots, the United States Department of Justice reinstated the investigation and obtained an indictment of violations of federal civil rights against the four officers in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The federal trial focused more on the evidence as to the training of officers instead of just relying on the videotape of the incident. On March 9 of the 1993 trial, King took the witness stand and described to the jury the events as he remembered them.[30] The jury found Officer Laurence Powell and Sergeant Stacey Koon guilty, and they were subsequently sentenced to 32 months in prison, while Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseño were acquitted of all charges.[6]

Later lifeIn 1993, King entered an alcohol rehabilitation program and was placed on probation after crashing his vehicle into a block wall in downtown Los Angeles. In July 1995, he was arrested by Alhambra police, who alleged that he hit his wife with his car, knocking her to the ground. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail after being convicted of hit and run.[31] On August 27, 2003, King was arrested again for speeding and running a red light while under the influence of alcohol. He failed to yield to police officers and slammed his vehicle into a house, breaking his pelvis.[32] On November 29, 2007, while riding home on his bicycle, King was shot in the face, arms, and back with pellets from a shotgun. He reported that it was done by a man and a woman who demanded his bicycle and shot him when he rode away.[31] Police described the wounds as looking like they came from birdshot, and said King offered few details about the suspects. In May 2008 King checked into the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California, which was filmed as part of the second season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, which premiered in October 2008. Dr. Drew Pinsky, who runs the facility, showed concern for King's lifestyle and said that King would die unless his addiction was treated.[33] He also appeared on Sober House, a Celebrity Rehab spin-off focusing on a sober living environment, which aired in early 2009. Both shows filmed King's quest not only to achieve sobriety, but to reestablish a relationship with his family, which had been severely damaged due to his drinking.[34]

During his time on Celebrity Rehab and Sober House, King worked not only on his addiction, but on the lingering trauma of the beating. He and Pinsky retraced his path from the night of his beating, eventually reaching the spot where it happened, the site of the Children's Museum of Los Angeles.[35]

King won[36] a celebrity boxing match against ex-Chester City (Delaware County, Pennsylvania) police officer Simon Aouad on Friday, September 11, 2009, at the Ramada Philadelphia Airport in Essington, Pennsylvania.[37]

In 2009, King and other alumni of Celebrity Rehab appeared as panel speakers to a new group of addicts at the Pasadena Recovery Center, marking 11 months of sobriety for him. His appearance was aired in the third season episode "Triggers".[38]

On September 9, 2010, it was confirmed that King was to marry Cynthia Kelley, who was a juror in the civil suit he brought against the City of Los Angeles.[39]

On March 3, 2011, King was stopped by Los Angeles police for driving erratically. He was issued a citation for driving with an expired license.[40][41][42] This arrest led to his February 2012 misdemeanor conviction for reckless driving.[43]

On April 12, 2012, King released a statement to the media regarding the Trayvon Martin shooting. King said he was "grieving for Trayvon Martin" and stated how the scream on the audio of George Zimmerman's 911 call reminded him of his own screaming during his beating by the LAPD.[44]

DeathOn June 17, 2012, King's fiancée Cynthia Kelly found him dead in his swimming pool. Police in Rialto received a 911 call from Kelly at about 5:25 am. Responding officers found King at the bottom of the pool, removed him, and attempted to revive him. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The Rialto Police Department began a standard drowning investigation, and stated that there did not appear to be any foul play, particularly noting King's self admitted problems with drinking. The Rialto Police promised a complete investigation.[45][46][47]

See also Los Angeles portal
African American portal
Latasha Harlins
Trayvon Martin



Notes1.^ a b CNN Wire Staff (17 June 2012). "Rodney King dead at 47". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/17/us/obit-rodney-king/index.html. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
2.^ "Rodney King Height". Talltask.com. http://www.talltask.com/Rodney-King-height-8525.html. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
3.^ "Rodney King to marry juror from LA police beating case". BBC News. September 9, 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11245542.
4.^ a b c Independent profile
5.^ "Rodney King". BuddyTV.com. http://www.buddytv.com/info/rodney-king-info.aspx. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
6.^ a b c d Linder, Douglas (December 2001). "The Rodney King Beating Trials". JURIST. http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/trials24.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
7.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 39.
8.^ http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/lapd/lapdaccount.html
9.^ Koon v. United States 518 U.S. 81 (1996)
10.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 43.
11.^ Stevenson, Richard W.; Egan, Timothy (March 18, 1991). "Seven Minutes in Los Angeles – A special report.; Videotaped Beating by Officers Puts Full Glare on Brutality Issue". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE5DE1539F93BA25750C0A967958260. Retrieved 2009-03-10.
12.^ a b Whitman, David (May 23, 1993). "US News and World Report: May 23, 1993, The Untold Story of the LA Riot". U.S. News & World Report. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/930531/archive_015229.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
13.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 27.
14.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 28.
15.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 31.
16.^ Cannon. Official Negligence:[page needed]
17.^ Cannon, Lou (March 16, 1993). "Prosecution Rests Case in Rodney King Beating". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
18.^ a b "Chapter 1: The Rodney King Beating". Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department: p. 6. 1991.
19.^ "Chapter 1: The Rodney King Beating". Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department: p. 7. 1991. "The blow hit King's head, and he went down immediately."
20.^ a b c "Chapter 1: The Rodney King Beating". Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department: p. 7. 1991.
21.^ Michael Goldstein (February 19, 2006), The Other Beating, Los Angeles Times
22.^ [1]
23.^ PBS.org and the ACLU [2] draw connections between the event and the subsequent activities of many organizations.
24.^ Cannon. Official Negligence: p. 205.
25.^ a b "Chapter 1: The Rodney King Beating". Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department: p. 8. 1991.
26.^ "Chapter 1: The Rodney King Beating". Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department: p. 15. 1991.
27.^ http://articles.latimes.com/2005/sep/30/local/me-king30
28.^ Mydans, Seth (April 30, 1992). "The Police Verdict; Los Angeles Policemen Acquitted in Taped Beating". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
29.^ Fiske, John "Media matters: race and gender in U.S. politics" page 188, "Bush on LA, extracts from his speech to the nation, May 1st, 1992".
30.^ Mydans, Seth (March 10, 2003). "Rodney King Testifies on Beating: 'I Was Just Trying to Stay Alive'". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/10/us/rodney-king-testifies-on-beating-i-was-just-trying-to-stay-alive.html. Retrieved March 5, 2009.
31.^ a b Reston, Maeve (November 30, 2007). "Rodney King shot while riding bike". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
32.^ "Rodney King slams SUV into house, breaks pelvis". CNN. April 16, 2003. Archived from the original on 2007-12-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20071211205000/http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/04/15/rodney.king.ap/.
33.^ TV Guide: page 8. June 23, 2008.
34.^ "Sober House Will Follow Celebrity Rehab Cast, Andy Dick in Sober Living". RealityBlurred.com. December 19, 2008.
35.^ Thompson, Elise. "Rodney King Forgives Officers Who Beat Him — LAist". http://laist.com/2009/02/22/rodney_king_forgives.php. Retrieved 30 December 2009.
36.^ "Rodney King Fight Results". BittenAndBound.com. September 12, 2009.
37.^ Stamm, Dan (August 19, 2009). "No Plan to 'Get Along' When Rodney King Takes on Former Cop". NBC Philadelphia. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
38.^ Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Episode 3.6 ("Triggers" VH1; February 11, 2010
39.^ Rodney King to marry juror from LA police beating case
40.^ "L.A. Now". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/03/rodney-king-stopped.html.
41.^ http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_17540843
42.^ Hartley-Parkinson, Richard (July 13, 2011). "CNN". CNN (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1362952/Rodney-King-arrested-skipping-red-light-20-years-LA-riots.html.
43.^ Stan Wilson (April 12, 2012). "Rodney King pleads for calm in Trayvon Martin case". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/12/us/trayvon-case-rodney-king/?hpt=hp_t1. Retrieved April 12, 2012.
44.^ "Rodney King: "I'm grieving for Trayvon Martin"". Los Angeles Times. April 12, 2012. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/rodney-king-speaks-out-on-trayvon-martin.html.
45.^ "Rodney King dead at 47". CNN. June 17,2012. http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/17/us/obit-rodney-king/index.html.
46.^ http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/17/us/obit-rodney-king/index.html CNN This Just In
47.^ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/06/rodney-king-whose-beating-by-los-angeles-police-helped-spark-the-1992-los-angeles-riots-died-sunday-at-his-home-in-rialto.html
ReferencesThe "Rodney King Beating video" is under copyright. For authorization contact www.rodneykingvideo.com.ar
Cannon, Lou (1999). Official Negligence: How Rodney King and the riots changed Los Angeles and the LAPD. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press. ISBN 0-8133-3725-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=C0tWztU6f0sC&printsec=frontcover&cad=0.
External links Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rodney King

Rodney King at Find a Grave
Rodney King at the Internet Movie Database
Rodney King: 17 Years After The Riots", Laist.com
Salon: "Rethinking Rodney King", Salon.com
Court TV: Rodney King's Legacy, Courttv.com
Kavanagh, Jim. "Rodney King, 20 years later." CNN. March 3, 2011.
Persondata
Name King, Rodney Glen
Alternative names King, Rodney
Short description Victim of police brutality
Date of birth April 2, 1965
Place of birth Sacramento, California
Date of death
Place of death
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; Out of all the Universities located in the South East only two are owned by people other than the State, Federal governments or Churches. The Schools are Gregory Ibe University at Uturu, Abia State and Renaissance University, Ugbawka in Enugu State. There are billionaires here but they would rather build hotels and filing stations than invest their money into Education. Not that the region lacks the people with the right ideas but the money is controlled by those who lack this vision. It is a sad commentary on a region with enormous potential for progressive development.

sani musa garba: CAN you all no what you are doing b'cos all this bombing of sunday worshipers comes from you.Allah zai kamaku nan gaba.

Are you playing politics with people. Since when did Christians or CAN start becoming suicide bombers while your "Allah" is watching may you can start by hanging your head in shame for you and your worthless beliefs.

sani musa garba: CAN you all no what you are doing b'cos all this bombing of sunday worshipers comes from you.Allah zai kamaku nan gaba.

Are you playing politics with people. Since when did Christians or CAN start becoming suicide bombers whikle your "Allah" is watching may you can start by hanging your head in shame for you and your worthless beliefs.

Ask Area Boyz for CALABAR wetin 15 Viking men do them in 2001 when they go they attack Malabo Gals.Because some of them feel say them be political thugs for politicians. Militant my ass.

Anaskie: T.A Orji, na u we know!!! Nobody is going to to snatch dis title 4rm u. Ur d worst Governor to ever walk the face of Planet Earth

Anaskie shout it for all the Earth to hear.

Dr. Sign Fireman's real name is Ofuche Ukoha, from Ohafia, Abia State. I knew him very well because we attended the same secondary school, federal government college, okigwe, imo state between 1986 and 1992. He was a guy that didn't mix too freely with people and stayed out of trouble. In our SS 3 back in 92 I noticed he developed a deep interest in martial arts and meditation. Me and my other mates used to poke fun at him by calling him "obonte the savage" or "ninja". Look at how 2 decades can transform one from ninja to preacher.

blackboi: i dey laff o!

blackboi: i dey laff o!

One LIEGERIA!!

baysol: If Oduduwa was for the yorubas by history who the bloody guy gave rise to igbo bloody peps who always mind other peoples business and never mind theirs(all in the gene).. Very uniform in tribalism none exempted in the Igbo clan. Very ungrateful lovers of money who are never contented with what they have no wonder they carry their shit all over the place in the name of trading. Lazy people that pretend to be busy trading while eying drug, robbery and other neferious acts(How many ibos are bricklayers or attisans because they believe in mony not work). Igbos the unwelcome visitor who want to turn himself to land lord at all cost(their regular trade mark). No wonder molas always kill them for their neivity and arrogance. I believe anytime yorubas are compared in Nigeria Igbos should cover their head in shame. Who welcome you most in Nigeria beyond your welcome? the answer is the yorubas. The yorubas have better relationship with better tribes like the effiks and ibibios who are mutually respectful of others unlike your uncouth types that must go to their Biafra hell hole soon. Yes yorubas can't stand the Igbo uncultured behaviour but we do not hate any tribe not to talk of Igbo. To prove this yorubas have never said Igbos must go. I hope it will not get to that with the way things are going in Nigeria currently (courtesy of a Igbo extract GEJ and his bad governance). How then do you blaim the yorubas for this. 2015 remains a dream to you Igbos as no one will trust you with one Nigeria beyond 2015 because you lac credibility and focus as a people. No leaders no plans except selfish ones. Abeg make una go sidon yorubas is not your problem you problem is complex and incapability.

Baysol a Yoruba man once told me "Igbos are a necessary evil". In reply I said if that is the case you too are evil by definition of your statement. Why did Awolowo drag us back to NIGERIA when we opted out. And in the process caused the economic blocade that saw millions (especially children) in Igbo, Efik, Ibibio etc die of starvation due to no food and medicine. Awo did not stop there after the looting of homes, banks and businesses that went on (btw 66-70) he still went ahead to share 20 Nigerian Pounds as fixed exchange to money held by the people of the East. This economic advantage enabled your Fathers to buy into Nigerian Companies when the Indigenization decree of 1972 came to bear, you can still take our hard earned wealth and in less than 5 years we will make more of it. It is not as if we love money more than your people (Yorubas) but you people have the tendency to sit in plumb positions and sign out the money without moving from your seats making you the greatest parasites in the Country. You talk about Artisans and brick layers, know you now in case you have not travelled much ours is an egalitarian society there is no field in any sector where we don't have skills, go to other parts of Nigeria or abroad and you will feel the impact of our GDP contribution since you called IGBOS lazy I don't believe you can convince anybody on this planet, maybe MARS.

baysol: If Oduduwa was for the yorubas by history who the bloody guy gave rise to igbo bloody peps who always mind other peoples business and never mind theirs(all in the gene).. Very uniform in tribalism none exempted in the Igbo clan. Very ungrateful lovers of money who are never contented with what they have no wonder they carry their shit all over the place in the name of trading. Lazy people that pretend to be busy trading while eying drug, robbery and other neferious acts(How many ibos are bricklayers or attisans because they believe in mony not work). Igbos the unwelcome visitor who want to turn himself to land lord at all cost(their regular trade mark). No wonder molas always kill them for their neivity and arrogance. I believe anytime yorubas are compared in Nigeria Igbos should cover their head in shame. Who welcome you most in Nigeria beyond your welcome? the answer is the yorubas. The yorubas have better relationship with better tribes like the effiks and ibibios who are mutually respectful of others unlike your uncouth types that must go to their Biafra hell hole soon. Yes yorubas can't stand the Igbo uncultured behaviour but we do not hate any tribe not to talk of Igbo. To prove this yorubas have never said Igbos must go. I hope it will not get to that with the way things are going in Nigeria currently (courtesy of a Igbo extract GEJ and his bad governance). How then do you blaim the yorubas for this. 2015 remains a dream to you Igbos as no one will trust you with one Nigeria beyond 2015 because you lac credibility and focus as a people. No leaders no plans except selfish ones. Abeg make una go sidon yorubas is not your problem you problem is complex and incapability.

Baysol a Yoruba man once told me "Igbos are a necessary evil". In reply I said if that is the case you too are evil by definition of your statement. Why did Awolowo drag us back to NIGERIA when we opted out. And in the process caused the economic blocade that saw millions (especially children) in Igbo, Efik, Ibibio etc die of starvation due to no food and medicine. Awo did not stop there after the looting of homes, banks and businesses that went on (btw 66-70) he still went ahead to share 20 Nigerian Pounds as fixed exchange to money held by the people of the East. This economic advantage enabled your Fathers to buy into Nigerian Companies when the Indigenization decree of 1972 came to bear, you can still take our hard earned wealth and in less than 5 years we will make more of it. It is not as if we love money more than your people (Yorubas) but you people have the tendency to sit in plumb positions and sign out the money without moving from your seats making you the greatest parasites in the Country. You talk about Artisans and brick layers, know you now in case you have not travelled much ours is an egalitarian society there is no field in any sector where we don't have skills, go to other parts of Nigeria or abroad and you will feel the impact of our GDP contribution since you called IGBOS lazy I don't believe you can convince anybody on this planet, maybe MARS.

What happened to all the crap about negotiations? To all the Boko Haram and their like you can keep killing, the more you kill in "God's name" the more virgins you will get in "paradise", but sorry to dissapoint you we ain't converting to you bullshit and stupid ass religion.Feel free to bomb me online......your paradise is a venue red hot a volcano is child's play.

May her soul rest in peace with the Lord. Amen.

IN TERMS OF LATE PAYMENT OF SALARIES, SACKING OF NON-INDIGENOUS NIGERIANS FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE, DIRTY ENVIRONMENT, BAD ROAD MAINTENANCE, LOOTING OF TREASURY, INSTITUTIONALISING OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR'S MOTHER OR SON, HIGHEST DEBT PROFILE AMONG STATES SINCE 1991 (CHECK THE STATISTICS BUREAU, LACK OF GOVERNMENT INFRASTURURAL DEVELOPMENT, BANK ROBBERY (LEADING TO NUMEROUS STRIKES BY BANKS - CAUSING A NEW NATIONAL RECORD OF TRANSPORTING MONEY VIA HELICOPTER & CAUSING PEOPLE TO VISIT OTHER BANKS FROM NEIGHBOURING STATES, UNFORTUNATELY SOME OF THEM ON RETURN WERE ATTACKED BY THE SAME ROBBERS WHO FORCED THEM TO FLEE), KIDNAPPING IN EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS, REMEBER "OSISI KA NKWU" (CAUSING PEOPLE TO ABANDON HOMES & BUSINESSES AND BECOME REFUGEES IN NEARBY STATES), EVEN THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE HAD TO MOVE TENT TO THE STATE AS A RESULT. A STATE GOVERNED BY A MAN WHO WON ELECTIONS (COURTESY OF HIS PREDECESSOR) WHILE STILL IN PRISON AND WAS RELEASED ON BAIL, SUBSEQUENTLY SWORN IN AS GOVERNOR AND BECAUSE OF IMMUNITY CLAUSE CANNOT BE TOUCHED. A SITTING GOVERNOR WHO IS CONSTANTLY PELTED WITH SATCHET WATER AND ABUSED ANYDAY HE VISITS THE STATES LARGEST TOWN (NOT THE CAPITAL). A GOVERNOR WHOSE FIRST SON IS SO POWERFUL THAT DUO HAS AQUIRED NEARLY ALL THE VALUABLE PROPERTY IN THE STATE BY CHANCE OR COERSION.I CAN GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE STATE AND ITS GOVERNOR (CURRENTLY ON HIS 2ND TERM) BUT I WILL BORE NAIRALAND VIEWS TO DEATH. THE STATE IS ABIA AND ITS GOVERNOR IS T.A ORJI (T FOR THIEF, A FOR ARMROBBER)ORJI NA IM PAPA NAME.

What is the latin word for "Honorary Masters Degree"? Really aren't there other awards that are more conventionally suited to the traditions of the academia. Academic awards should go to people whose achievements have scholarly contributions to education are not in doubt. A University can give an award to Kanu such as say " A meritous or even award for excellence for his contributions to sports or humanity i.e (Kanu Heart Foundation) but it shouldn't be an Honorary Degree, every award is precious and should be given in its appropriate qualification.

Gowon has done no wrong by not attending and the funeral was not any less grand by his absence.Ojukwu will certainly not hold it against him for that. I think GOWON is unfairly targeted or his intentions may be misunderstood in the midst of all these speculations.

OJUKWU is our HERO whether you HATERS like it or not. We all know Awolowo's role against IGBO race. I need no parasite to remind me.

ojukwu will always remain great an be remebered. his name shall endure in our minds and in the minds of our children.

Sanusi is eminently qualified and has the political will to do what his predecessors should have done a long time ago. I for one am a disciple of his policies, especially those on protectionism before Nigeria can delude itself of competing globally.

@Ju Sun Pack leave Ojukwu out of this. His thread is different.

The names of the prominent actors of New Masquerade include James Iroha (Gringory) Chika Okpala (Chief Zebrudia Okoro Igwe Nwogbo alias 4.30), Lizzy Ovoeme (Ovuliera), Claude Eke who died of sroke in 2002 was (Prince Jegede Shokoya the Great Grand son of Idi Araba and by the grace of God the youngest millionaire in the whole Universe). Jegede had two wifes Ramota and Akpeno (late Christy Igbokwe). David Offor is Clarus (now blind), and Natty's real name is Romanus. And for the records the late Gringory had a medical condition to the brain since 1976 he had been undergoing expensive operations abroad. Back in 1996 over a N1 m was raised on his behalf to under go an operation abroad. He resorted to appeals so that he can still have enough money to do the normal things such as pay rent, feed the family and send his children to the University. I knew his family well. May his meek soul find ever lasting peace. R.I.P.

A Life well spent by Odimegwu Ojukwu. Anybody in doubt should go to Wikipaedia and see objectivity in action. I love the colours Black, Green, Red and Yellow. I shall fly the colours in the spirit of the people of the EAST.

Eko Ile:
LAWMA is still on stand d by, abeg carry your wuruwuru go ya village make we clean up bad spir L

Eko Ile link=topic=878259.msg10261714#msg10261714 date=1330057898:
LAWMA is still on stand d by, abeg carry your wuruwuru go ya village make we cl

I sure say your Papa follow drive these trucks. How drm wan take pass go slow caused by the great Ikemba. Oya! come drive us comot Lagos. Ndi Apari!

;d ;d ;d ;d ;d ;d ;d ;d manchester united for life!!!!!!

T.A Orji is by far the worst state chief executive to have ruled any State in Nigeria. His infamous son is also the effective Commissioner of finance. Abia is "God's own state" in the Devil's grip and believe me it is a tight one.

Three grins for the three new Universities. If the news is true then it is not sustainable and if it is not that is because it's sustainability is predictably obvious. The emphasis should be to encourage private participation in the sector.

Limaoscar:
Hey, Look here----wetin dey worry you sef

. Wetin dey worry am u talk u no see say that guy fit be Ashley |Cole. They say him get injury I no c am 4 the 3-3 match with Man U last weekend. I will not dismiss the theory so easily.

So this is the guy wey dey mark X-mas with BOOOOM eh! Please bring him to Port Harcourt make Prison Brake no come get new season.

Rhino.4dm:
Ssshhhhhhhssssssssssssssss!
[img]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQuZ5OOsLM6G5-U-74MLO3DitN3Y4Rw4rVXxFv_KhA2Y8849hU1Lw[/img]

@ Rhino good pic I can see ur father playing draft behind your sleeping mother. Mad Man.Msheooooooooow

pazienza:
They are not ignorant,make no mistake about that,they know what they are doing,we have never denied them,but we don't have to woo them,they have more to gain from igbo nation than they will ever offer to us.

@ Pazienza u are so right. People should not be permitted to arrogate to themselves the knowledge about the origin or even destiny of another nation. The Ikwere nation is as distinct as any other. Some posts talk of similarity in names. As a history student I can tell u that in parts of Abia State people answer Ibibio names as Etum, Ekpe,Imuo, Inyang etc. In Akwa Ibom you have names such as Udo, Udoka, Kanu etc. This is as a result of inter-trade, settlements and inter-marriage resulting in fusion of cultures over centuries but the disticntness remains even over centuries. Compare the attitude of the average Igbo and Ikwere (if u know any and u will observe distinct differences in approaches to many things especially industry. Perhaps the initiator of the thread has an expansionist agenda.