LAPD's Police Reforms and the Legacy of Rodney King

No small part of the outrageous injustice around the death of Freddie Gray is its familiarity. Mr. Gray's severe spinal injury in the custody of the Baltimore Police Department and his ensuing death is the latest in a very public series of black-male casualties at the hands of police officers—officers who have often walked away without indictment. Protests and riots over the police killings of Gray, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and Walter Scott have all gripped the nation over this past year.

This Wednesday was the anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which broke out after four white police officers were acquitted of charges of assault and excessive force after their brutal beating of Rodney King, a black man, was captured on video. Six days of unrest included both peaceful demonstrations and violence: 53 people died, more than 2,000 people were injured, and widespread arson and looting set property damages at over $1 billion.