King, who never enjoyed sitting at home, now leads a sedentary, largely secluded life, venturing out with a wheelchair and cane mainly for medical treatment. Never much of a bookworm, the 25-year-old laborer and high school dropout does not even enjoy television these days because "every time he turns on the TV, he sees something on it" about the beating, ex-wife Dennetta King said.; "He's depressed, he's scared," she said, adding that she speaks with King about twice a week, mainly about their daughters. "That's about all he talks about."; "He's depressed because they beat him like that and he feels that his manhood has been taken, and he's scared because he doesn't know if they're going to try to beat him up again or kill him or what," she said.; Dennetta King said her ex-husband has been staying at a series of undisclosed, private homes with family members because of threats.; King's attorney, Steven Lerman of Beverly Hills, said he has hired security guards to "watch (out) for him."; Lerman has filed an $83 million claim against the city on King's behalf. Three Los Angeles police officers and a sergeant have been indicted on charges of excessive force in the case, while investigations continue into the culpability of 17 other officers present.; Although the March 3 videotaped beating has been replayed across the country and overseas, igniting an unprecedented political war within city government and a series of investigations, King himself has avoided publicity.; Lerman said he has declined all requests for interviews with King from reporters because "I don't feel he's in any kind of shape to be seen."; King's neat, blue home in Altadena has the curtains drawn, its phone number and those of other family members long changed. Neighbors say they do not hear from King directly, and only occasionally catch word that "he's doing OK" or "getting by."; King suffers from painful headaches, and numbness on the right side of his face where the bones of his cheek and eye were fractured "like an eggshell," said his plastic surgeon, Dr. Alvin Reiter.; King's bones appear to be healing well after five hours of reconstructive surgery March 14, Reiter said. The natural tightening of the skin during the healing process has created "significant bumps and depressions" on King's face that probably will require more surgery.; "He's very concerned about what he's going to look like," Reiter said.; Dennetta King said Rodney was always proud of his good looks and used to take longer than her to wash and dress. "He loves his teeth and face," she said. "He brushed quite a bit, and used to get on the girls all the time about brushing their teeth. He believed in pretty teeth."; King remains under investigation in the Feb. 21 armed robbery of a Los Angeles video store. Los Angeles police have acknowledged he became a suspect in the case, in which a store clerk was shot in the shoulder, only after the March 3 beating when his photograph was widely broadcast on television. He is on parole for a 1989 robbery of a Monterey Park grocer.
Rodney King spends his time seeing doctors and thinking about his injuries he fears may become permanent . He is staying with friends and fears retribution by the police . His ex - wife says he 's depressed and frightened ; his attorney has hired guards to protect him . King suffers headaches and numbness of the face after several months of plastic surgery to repair parts of his cheek and eye bones , and has instituted an $ 8 million law suit against the city for excessive spending . In another development , he 's now a suspect in a February 21 robbery and shooting , a result of the wide publicity .