Black residents in Los Angeles say that the widely publicized King beating is not news . John Hicks of the ACLU says it happens all the time . Rodney King , a black man , was arrested by California Highway patrolmen and Los Angeles police after a high speed chase . Unresisting , he was beaten by several officers with night sticks as others drove by . The incident was videotaped by a witness , who passed the tape along to media . Police claim King resisted arrest ; witnesses deny this . Police misconduct reports increased 40 percent this year , ranging from illegal search and seizure to death .
Black residents in Los Angeles say that the widely publicized King beating is not news. Joe Hicks of the ACLU says it happens all the time. Rodney King, a black man, was stopped by California Highway patrolmen and Los Angeles police after a high speed chase. Unresisting, he was beaten by several officers with night sticks as others stood by. The incident was videotaped by a witness, who passed the tape along to media. Police claim King resisted arrest; witnesses deny this. Police misconduct reports rose 75 percent this year, ranging from illegal search and seizure to death.