Los Angeles 1992 Riots

Day 1 ◆ Day 2 ◆ Day 3 ◆ Day 4 ◆ Day 5 ◆ Day 6

Day 1

71st and Normandie

At Florence and Halldale, two officers issued a plea for assistance in apprehending a young suspect who had thrown an object at their car and whom they were pursuing on foot. Approximately two dozen officers, commanded by 77th Street Division LAPD officer Lieutenant Michael Moulin, arrived and arrested the youth, 16-year old Seandel Daniels, forcing him into the back of a car. The rough handling of the young man, a minor who was well known in the community, further agitated an uneasy and growing crowd, who began taunting and berating the police.

Among the crowd were Bart Bartholemew, a freelance photographer for The New York Times, and Timothy Goldman, who began to record events with a camcorder. The police formed a perimeter around the arresting officers as the crowd grew more hostile, leading to further altercations and arrests (including that of Damian Williams’ older brother, Mark Jackson). One member of the crowd stole the flashlight of an LAPD officer. Fearing police would resort to deadly force to repel the growing crowd, Lieutenant Moulin ordered officers out of the area altogether. Moulin later said that officers on the scene were outnumbered and unprepared to handle the situation because their riot equipment was stored at the police academy.

–Lieutenant Michael Moulin, bullhorn broadcast as recorded by the Goldman footage at 71st and Normandie

Moulin made the call for reporting officers to retreat from the 71st and Normandie area entirely at approximately 5:50 pm. They were sent to an RTD bus depot at 54th and Arlington and told to await further instructions. The command post formed at this location was set up at approximately 6:00 pm, but had no cell phones or computers other than those in squad cars. It had insufficient numbers of telephone lines and handheld police radios to assess and respond to the situation.Finally, the site had no televisions, which meant that as live broadcasts of unrest began, command post officers could not see any of the coverage.

Day 2

Mayor Bradley signed an order for a dusk-to-dawn curfew at 12:15 am for the core area affected by the riots. At 10:15 am, he expanded the area under curfew. By mid-morning, violence appeared widespread and unchecked as extensive looting and arson were witnessed across Los Angeles County. Rioting moved from South Central Los Angeles, going north through the neighborhoods of Central Los Angeles before reaching Hollywood. The looting and fires engulfed Hollywood Boulevard, before rioting erupted in the neighboring cities of Inglewood, Hawthorne, Compton and Long Beach.

Korean Americans noted that law enforcement abandoned Koreatown, contrasting that with official defense lines for such wealthy white neighborhoods as Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Subsequently, they organized their own armed security teams composed of store owners, who defended their businesses from assault. Open gun battles were televised, including an incident in which Korean shopkeepers armed with M1 carbines, Ruger Mini-14s, pump-action shotguns, and handguns exchanged gunfire with a group of armed looters, and forced their retreat. After Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda criticized rioters for burning down their own neighborhoods, he received death threats and was taken to the LAPD academy for protection. The 670th MP Company had been redeployed to reinforce police patrols and to guard the Korean Cultural Center and Embassy after events in Koreatown.

Day 3

Rodney King gave an impromptunews conference in front of his lawyer's office, tearfully saying,

That morning, at 1:00 am, Governor Wilson had requested federal assistance. Upon request, Bush invoked the Insurrection Act with Executive Order 12804, federalizing the California Army National Guard and authorizing federal troops to help restore law and order. With Bush's authority, the Pentagon activated Operation Garden Plot, placing the California Army National Guard and federal troops under the newly formed Joint Task Force Los Angeles (JTF-LA). The deployment of federal troops was not ready until Saturday, by which time the rioting and looting were under control.

Day 4

On the fourth day, 2,000 soldiers of the 7th Infantry Division from Fort Ord and 1,500 marines of the 1st Marine Division from Camp Pendleton arrived to reinforce the National Guardsmen already in the city. The Marine Corps contingent included the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, commanded by John F. Kelly. It was the first significant military occupation of Los Angeles by federal troops since the 1894 Pullman Strike, and also the first time such forces were sent to an American city to quell a civil disorder since the 1968 King assassination riots.

These federal military forces took 24 hours to deploy to Huntington Park, about the same time it took for the National Guardsmen. This brought total troop strength to 13,500. Federal troops and National Guardsmen directly supported local police in restoring order; they contributed significantly to containing and stopping the violence. With most of the violence under control, 30,000 people attended an 11:00 am peace rally in Koreatown to support local merchants and racial healing.

Day 5

Mayor Bradley assured the public that the crisis was, more or less, under control as areas became quiet. Later that night, Army National Guardsmen shot and killed a motorist who tried to run them over at a barrier.

Day 6

Although Mayor Bradley lifted the curfew, signaling the official end of the riots, sporadic violence and crime continued for a few days afterward. Schools, banks, and businesses reopened. Federal troops did not stand down until May 9. The Army National Guard remained until May 14. Some National Guardsmen remained as late as May 27.