Rodney King was found motionless lying at the bottom of his swimming pool by his fiancé, Cynthia Kelley in his home in Rialto, near Los Angeles last June 17.
According to reports, Kelley immediately called for help upon seeing her 47-year old fiancé drowning at the pool since she could not swim. She tried to reach King using a pitchfork and hoe until authorities arrived and pulled King out of the water. Rodney was subsequently transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Finally, the investigation is now completed and based on the autopsy and toxicology report, King was in a state of drug and alcohol-induced delirium at the time of the terminal event and either fell or jumped into the swimming pool that led to his death.
Rialto Police Captain Randy DeAnda further explained that the combination of ethanol or alcohol and multiple drug toxicity have triggered an irregular heartbeat and made King unable to save himself from drowning.
In her statement, Kelley was in bed sleeping when she was awakened by a grunting and growling sound and then he saw King at the patio door having frothy secretions coming form his mouth. Therefore, Kelley went on to get her cell phone but while she was making a call, she heard a splash and by the time she got into the pool, she saw King lying face down in the deep end.
He was 47.
He became well-known after he was pulled over by four Los Angeles police officers for speeding on a dark street on March 3, 1991. He was severely beaten by the apprehending cops while a bystander incidentally filmed the scene showing him being repeatedly hit with batons, kicked, and shot with stun guns. The video was then broadcasted by media outlets all over the world.
Consequently, the incident left King with brain injury. Unfortunately, the officers involved in the beating were acquitted a year after the incident. The said acquittals inflicted racial issues and eventually triggered the 1999 Los Angeles riots wherein 53 people were killed and more than 2,000 were injured.
The huge riot required the presence of soldiers from the United States Army National Guard together with the United States Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton, California since local authorities can no longer control the riots. The damages incurred by the said outrage amounted to $1 billion to the State of California, according to reports.
Although drowning accidents can’t be avoided, there are some instances like in King’s case that are unavoidable due to several circumstances. Nevertheless, a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles felt somehow relieved that King’s case has been finally resolved.
