Hundreds of confidential documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times indicate that officers who stopped the Altadena motorist played down his injuries in their official reports.; But Highway Patrol officers at the scene told investigators that they were shocked by the ferocity of the beating.; Police have now determined that 21 Los Angeles police officers were at the scene, instead of 15 as initially reported. There were also three Highway Patrol officers and two school police officers.; Police officers, unaware that they had been videotaped by an amateur video buff, said in their reports that King suffered cuts and bruises "of a minor nature."; In contrast, the Highway Patrol officers were so taken aback that they jotted down Los Angeles officers' names.; "I didn't see any need to hit him with a baton," Officer Melanie Singer of the Highway Patrol later told investigators.; The conflicting accounts are contained in hundreds of pages of confidential police reports, witness interviews and other official law enforcement materials collected by investigators and studied by the county grand jury, which indicted a sergeant and three officers last week.; In "use of force" reports submitted by Sgt. Stacey Koon and officers Laurence M. Powell and Timothy Wind, King's injuries were listed as "contusions and abrasions."; They also marked boxes on the use of force reports saying King "attacked officers," "continued some resistance" and "increased his resistance." The videotape shows that King was often in a defenseless position.; The grand jury indicted Koon, Powell, Wind and Officer Ted Briseno on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and beating a suspect under color of authority. Koon and Powell were also charged with filing a false police report.; After the arrest, Koon wrote in his daily report that reinforcements are needed to ensure a suspect's submission because sometimes batons and electric stun guns don't work the way they are supposed to.; Highway Patrol Officers Tim and Melanie Singer said they saw the first half-dozen blows inflicted on King. Another Highway Patrol officer, Gabriel Aid, said he arrived after King was hogtied. Aid said one Los Angeles police officer asked him, "Did you get any blood on your hands?"; The Singers, a husband-and-wife team, saw King when he and two passengers were driving on Interstate 210 at what Melanie Singer estimated were speeds of up to 100 mph.; She said King refused to stop, even after her husband advised him over their car bullhorn: "Pull over to the right. We won't hurt you."; Los Angeles police joined the pursuit. Melanie Singer said that, when King got out of the car, he appeared jovial, dancing and "heavily intoxicated." One passenger in King's car said they had been drinking malt liquor.; As Melanie Singer approached King, she said Koon told her, "No, no. Get back. We'll handle." She said Koon shot King twice with a Taser stun gun, and King stumbled to the ground.; "Officer Powell ran up and struck the suspect on the right side of his head with his baton," she told investigators. "The suspect clasped his hands to his face and screamed with pain. He was bleeding. Powell then struck him five to six more times in rapid succession in the head and neck area."; She described the blows as "causing his face to split."; At that point, she said, another Los Angeles police officer grabbed Powell's arm to stop him, and Koon yelled at Powell, "Stop! Stop! That's enough!"; "Mr. King appeared to be less resistive," she recalled. "I considered him disabled."; None of the Los Angeles officers gave King instructions, she said.
Police now say that 21 officers were present as Rodney King was shot with a stun gun and beaten about the head and body with clubs as he lay hog-tied on the ground. Witnesses say he was jovial and intoxicated when he left his car. The police report says that after being tasered, Mr. Brown “began to move toward officers” who fired at him several times. Their reports downplayed his injuries; four policemen have been indicted for false reports and beating a suspect. Highway Patrol officers present, upset, took policemen's names and reported the incident. King suffered facial and ankle fractures and other injuries.