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NEWS
May 1, 1993
Local Leaders Feel Justice Was Served In 2nd Trial
By Jayme L.
Bradford
News Editor
Atlanta’s local com
munity leaders had
mixed emotions over
the the Rodney King
verdict announced on
Saturday, April 17th.
Two of the Los An
geles police officers
were found guilty of
federal civil rights vio
lations in the video
taped beating of King,
a black motorist. The
two other officers were
acquitted of all
charges.
Sgt. Stacey Koon,
the supervising officer
at the scene of the
beating, was con
victed of violating
King’s civil rights.
Officer Laurence
Powell was also con
victed for violating
King’s civil rights for
delivering most of the
baton blows.
Officer Theodore
Briseno and rookie of
ficer Timothy Wind
were acquitted. Wind
was fired after the in
cident.
Briseno was shown
stomping on King at
one point, but claimed
that he tried to stop
the beating. Wind was
not shown taking a
major role in the at
tack.
The federal grand
jury reached a verdict
on Friday afternoon
after 40 hours of de
liberation. The U.S.
District Court Judge,
John G. Davies sealed
the verdict overnight.
“The answer to vio
lence is never more
violence. Justice has
been done in the case
of Koon and Powell.
America heard and
heeded the wake up
call,” said Atlanta
Mayor, Maynard
Jackson.
Jackson also said
that the students and
community leader
ship were prepared if
the verdict was unfa
vorable.
lent throughout,” said
Jamal Bryant, a
Morehouse College
student. However,
Bryant said that he
does not want the ver
dict to be forgotten.
According to Mayor
Jackson, there are
only a few police that
abuse their power
against the many that
do the right thing.
The officers beat
King, 28, after stop
ping him for a traffic
offense. A neighbor
videotaped the beat
ing and it was broad
casted worldwide.
The two convicted
officers face up to 10
years in prison and
$250,000 in fines.
Sentencing will occur
on August 4.
According to Dr.
Joesph Lowry, presi
dent of the Southern
Christian Leadership
Conference (SCLC),
the verdict was calm
ing, but he said he
regrets that Briseno
and Wind were not
convicted. “The ver
dict sends a message
that police are to serve
as our protectors in
stead of our prosecu
tors. Police are not to
be the judges, juries
and executors.”
Lowry said the only
thing unique about
the King incident was
the videocamera.
“This is a partial re
demption of the crimi
nal justice system.”
In addition, Lowry
said that disparities
in sentencing must be
eliminated. He said
he would hate to think
about how cynical the
system would be if the
officers were acquit
ted again.
Mayor Jackson at
tributed the uprising
in Los Angeles over the
first King verdict to
bad government. He
said that Los Angeles'
mayor, Tom Bradley
was cut off from hav
ing control over the
police department. .,
TERESA EDWARDS
3-TIME OLYMPIAN
U.S. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Heating the guys hack in the neighborhood when I was a hid
WE RE PROUD THIS CHAMPION
made me think I was pretty goo d. But at t h e s a m e time, I
WORE CHAMPION FOR THE U S A.
always knew it s not about how good I am, hut how good / can he.^^
IN THE 1992 SUMMER GAMES.
No violent response
was planned to the
verdict, according to
student represenatives
from the AUC, Geor
gia State and Emory.
“We cannot say ex
actly what the plan is,
but it will be non-vio-
In sports, in life and in our clothes, it takes a little more to make a Champion'.
