Rodney King on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew"
Rodney King first came into the public eye after a video of him being beaten by L.A. police officers made its way onto national airwaves in 1991. The 'not guilty' verdict of his attackers incited the L.A. riots of 1992. His plea of "Can we all just get along?" has become synonymous with one of the worst civil disturbances in American history. King received $3.8 million in damages from the City of Los Angeles in civil court, which he used to start the now defunct Straight Alta-Pazz Records label.
• Rodney King lives in Rialto, California and is bankrupt.
• Known for the 1991 beating by Los Angeles police which was caught on videotape, and was played all over the world.
• The police officers' acquittal in April 1992 triggered the 'L.A. Riots' which set the city on fire with widespread looting, violence and deaths.
• Two officers were later found guilty of Federal civil right charges, while the other two were acquitted.
• Since the 1991 incident, King has been arrested nearly a dozen times for offenses such as spousal abuse, driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, drug possession, and soliciting a transvestite prostitute.
• On November 3, 1989, King assaulted a convenience store clerk with a tire iron and fled with $200. He received two years in prison for this offense but was paroled after a year.
• King has been married at least twice and has three daughters from three separate mothers (the youngest he hasn't seen in years due to his drug and alcohol abuse).
• At one point there were reports that King was shot with birdshots fired from an unknown shotgun. He was shot in the face, arms, back, and torso. Police arrived to his home and he appeared drunk.
• King was eventually awarded $3.8 million for the injuries he sustained in the police beating.
• In 2004, King pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of PCP after he slammed into a power pole in Rialto, California. He broke his pelvis from the accident.
• In 2005, King was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.
• He currently 'works' with friends for a tow truck company called Hud & Sons Towing. However he is a danger to himself and others because he is intoxicated the majority of the time.
• According to Rodney, "If you're not drunk by 10 am, you're not human."