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{{short description|Racially motivated attack during the 1992 L.A. riots}}
[[Image:White_truck_driver_Reginald_Denny.gif|thumb|200px|Damian Williams dances over Denny]]
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
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'''Reginald Oliver Denny''' (born [[April 21]], [[1953]] in [[San Pedro, Los Angeles, California|San Pedro, California]]) is a white construction truck driver who was dragged from his truck and nearly beaten to death by black rioters during the [[1992 Los Angeles riots]]. The attack was captured by [[Los Angeles News Service]], which broadcast the attack live on national television.
{{Infobox news event
|image = Florence and Normandie.jpg
|image_size = 250px
|caption = Looking east from the southwestern corner of [[Florence Avenue|Florence]] and [[Normandie Avenue|Normandie]] Avenues, in March 2010
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|date = April 29, 1992
|time = 6:46 pm
|place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
|coordinates = {{Coord|33.974577|N|118.300285|W|format=dms|type:event_region:US-CA_scale:50000|display=inline,title}}
|target = Reginald Denny
|partof=[[1992 Los Angeles riots]]}}

⚫
'''Reginald Oliver Denny''' (born 1953) is a former construction truck driver who was pulled from his truck and severely beaten during the [[1992 Los Angeles riots]]. His attackers, a group of black men who came to be known as the "'''L.A. Four'''", targeted Denny because he was white. The attack was captured on video by a news helicopter and broadcast live on U.S. national television.

Four other black L.A. residents who had witnessed the attack on live television came to Denny's aid, placing him back in his truck and driving him to the hospital. Denny suffered a fractured skull and impairment of his speech and his ability to walk, for which he underwent years of rehabilitative therapy. After unsuccessfully suing the City of Los Angeles, Denny moved to Arizona, where he worked as an independent boat mechanic and has mostly avoided media contact.


==Background==
==Background==
{{main|Rodney King|1992 Los Angeles riots}}
On [[March 3]], [[1991]], [[Rodney King]], an African-American, was videotaped being repeatedly beaten by a group of [[Los Angeles Police Department|LAPD]] officers. Over a year later, on [[April 29]], [[1992]], all four officers (three white and one Hispanic) were acquitted when the mostly white jury could not reach a verdict. The result sparked outrage about [[racism]] across the country, especially in [[South Los Angeles|South Central Los Angeles]] (now "South Los Angeles" as of [[2003]]) and South East Los Angeles where a largely African-American [[mob rule|mob]] took to the streets shouting "black justice"[http://www.eisenhowerfoundation.org/aboutus/media/cbssmFeb2893.html] and "No justice, no peace!"

On March{{spaces}}3, 1991, an amateur video recording showed [[Rodney King]], a black motorist, being badly beaten by [[Los Angeles Police Department]] officers during an arrest. The outrage resulting from the [[acquittal]] of these police officers was the principal cause of the [[1992 Los Angeles riots]].{{r|Benson 2009}}

Born in 1953 in [[Lansing, Michigan]],<ref name="Rosenberg 2010a">{{cite book |last=Rosenberg |first=Charles |editor-last=Danver |editor-first=Steven L. |title=Revolts, Protests, Demonstrations, and Rebellions in American History: An Encyclopedia, Volume 3 |date=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, Calif. |isbn=978-1-59884-222-7 |pages=1101–1102 |chapter=Denny, Reginald (1953–)}}</ref><ref name="Benson 2009">{{Cite book |editor-last=Benson |editor-first=Sonia |chapter-url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/los-angeles-riots-1992 |title=UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History |publisher=Cengage |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-4144-3274-8 |chapter=Los Angeles Riots (1992) |via=Encyclopedia.com}}</ref> Reginald Oliver Denny was a 39-year-old truck driver at the time of the attack.<ref name="Devlin 2007">{{Cite book |last1=Devlin |first1=Keith |title=The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS: Solving Crime with Mathematics |last2=Lorden |first2=Gary |date=2007 |publisher=Penguin |location=New York |isbn=978-1-101-21346-9 |pages=63–66}}</ref> His parents moved to [[Sylmar, Los Angeles]], when he was a child.<ref name="Sipchen 1992">{{Cite web |last=Sipchen |first=Bob |date=December 24, 1992 |title=Denny--Beaten but Unbowed |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-24-mn-3565-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |url-access=limited}}</ref>

==Attack==
[[File:DennyAttack.png|thumb|237x237px|Damian Williams throwing a cinder block at Denny's head, then executing a football-style victory dance.]]

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On April{{spaces}}29, 1992, at 5:39{{spaces}}p.m., Denny loaded his red [[dump truck]] with {{convert|27|ST|t|abbr=on}} of sand to be delivered to a plant in [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood]]. On the way, he left the [[Harbor Freeway]] and took a familiar shortcut along [[Florence Avenue]].<ref name="Devlin 2007" /><ref name="Sipchen 1992" /> He was listening to the radio, "probably [[KKLA-FM|KKLA]], a Christian channel," Denny said, "or country station [[KZLA]]."<ref name="Sipchen 1992" /> At 6:46{{spaces}}p.m., after he entered the intersection of Florence and [[Normandie Avenue]], rioters threw rocks at his windows, and he heard people shouting for him to stop, forcing him to do so in the middle of the street.<ref name="Devlin 2007" />

Video footage taken from a helicopter by freelance journalists [[Bob Tur]] and Marika Gerrard showed Denny being pulled from his truck and beaten with fists, kicked, and struck with a [[cinder block]] before being rescued by four nearby residents.<ref name="Rosenberg 2010b">{{cite book |last=Rosenberg |first=Charles |editor-last=Danver |editor-first=Steven L. |title=Revolts, Protests, Demonstrations, and Rebellions in American History: An Encyclopedia, Volume 3 |date=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, Calif. |isbn=978-1-59884-222-7 |pages=1097–8 |chapter=Los Angeles Uprising (1992)}}</ref> Timothy Goldman, a local resident who was filming on the ground at the corner of Florence and Normandie Avenues, captured a part of the scene.<ref name="Jennings 2017">{{Cite web |last1=Jennings |first1=Angel |last2=Hamilton |first2=Matt |date=April 25, 2017 |title=At the corner of Florence and Normandie, marking causes of L.A. riots |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-riots-king-20170425-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |url-access=limited}}</ref> The attack has been described as a [[hate crime]]<ref name="Free 1996">{{cite book |last=Free |first=Marvin D. |title=African Americans and the Criminal Justice System |date=1996 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-8153-1982-5 |page=202 |quote=Although undoubtedly some of these hate crimes involved white victims (consider the highly publicized case of Reginald Denny who was dragged from his truck by five African American men and severely beaten after the acquittal of Los Angeles police officers charged with beating Rodney King) [...]}}</ref> in which Denny, a [[white man]], was targeted for his race in response to [[police brutality]] against King and the belief that the criminal justice system had failed to protect King's [[Civil and political rights|civil rights]].<ref name="McLaughlin 2000">{{citation |mode=cs1 |title=Responding to Hate Crime: A Multidisciplinary Curriculum For Law Enforcement and Victim Assistance Professionals |author1=McLaughlin, K. A. |author2=Malloy, S. M. |author3=Brilliant, K. J. |author4=Lang, C. |display-authors=etal |date=February 2000 |publisher=National Center for Hate Crime Prevention, Education Development Center, Inc. |location=Newton, Mass. |url=https://www.ncjrs.gov/ovc_archives/reports/responding/files/ncj182290.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110010008/https://www.ncjrs.gov/ovc_archives/reports/responding/files/ncj182290.pdf |archive-date=10 January 2017 |quote=During the 1992 riots in Los Angeles, following the acquittal of Los Angeles police officers in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, a group of young black males dragged white truck driver Reginald Denny from the cab of his truck and severely beat him within an inch of his life. This attack has been described as a retaliatory hate crime that occurred in response to the police brutality against Rodney King, and to widespread public perception that the justice system had failed to protect King’s civil rights.}}</ref>


Antoine Miller climbed up and opened the truck door, giving an unidentified man the chance to pull Denny out and throw him on the ground. Henry Watson stood on Denny's neck to hold him down as a group of men surrounded him and Anthony Brown kicked him in the abdomen.<ref name="Chermak 2007" /><ref name="Devlin 2007" /> As Watson walked away, two other unidentified men joined in the attack: one hurled a five-pound [[oxygenator]] stolen from Larry Tarvin's truck at Denny's head,<ref name="Domanick 2016">{{cite book |last=Domanick |first=J. |title=Blue: The LAPD and the Battle to Redeem American Policing |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-4516-4110-3 |page=3}}</ref> and the other kicked him and hit him with a [[claw hammer]].<ref name="Chermak 2007">{{cite book |last1=Chermak |first1=Steven |title=Crimes and Trials of the Century |last2=Bailey |first2=Frankie |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-57356-973-6 |page=150}}</ref> News footage showed Damian Williams throwing a cinder block at Denny's head, then doing a football-style victory dance in the road and gesticulating gang signs.{{r|Devlin 2007|Rosenberg 2010c}} After the beating ended, some men threw beer bottles at the unconscious body and a man searched Denny's back pockets, taking his wallet.<ref name="Chermak 2007" /><ref name="Devlin 2007" /> Tur and Gerrard, observing the beating from their helicopter, reported that there were no police in the area.{{r|Rosenberg 2010b}}
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== Events of April 29, 1992 ==
⚫
On [[April 29]], [[1992]], at 5:39 PM, Denny loaded his red, eighteen-wheel truck with twenty-seven tons of sand and drove to a plant in [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood]] where the sand was due. He left the [[Santa Monica Freeway]] and took a familiar shortcut across Florence Avenue to get to his destination. At 6:46 PM, after entering the intersection at Normandie, rioters threw rocks at his windows and he heard people shouting at him to stop. Overhead, a news helicopter piloted by reporter [[Bob Tur]] captured the events that followed.


Four black residents of [[South Central Los Angeles]], Bobby Green Jr., Lei Yuille, Titus Murphy, and Terri Barnett, who had been watching the events on television, came to Denny's aid.{{r|Rosenberg 2010a|Gray 2007a}}<ref name="Sastry 2017">{{cite news |last1=Sastry |first1=Anjuli |last2=Bates |first2=Karen Grigsby |date=26 April 2017 |title=When LA Erupted In Anger: A Look Back At The Rodney King Riots |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/04/26/524744989/when-la-erupted-in-anger-a-look-back-at-the-rodney-king-riots}}</ref> Green, also a truck driver,<ref name="Gray 2007b">{{cite magazine |last=Gray |first=Madison |date=27 April 2007 |title=The L.A. Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King: Key Figures: Bobby Green |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/la_riot/article/0,28804,1614117_1614084_1614518,00.html}}</ref> boarded Denny's truck and drove him to the [[Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center, Memorial Campus|Daniel Freeman Hospital]] in Inglewood.<ref name="Sipchen 1992" />
A man named Antoine Miller opened the truck door, giving others the chance to pull Denny out. Another man, Henry Keith Watson, then held Denny's head down with his foot. Denny, who had done nothing to provoke the violence, was kicked in the stomach. A man who had led a liquor store break-in earlier that day hurled a five-pound piece of medical equipment at Denny's head and hit him three times with a claw hammer. A man named [[Damian Williams|Damian Monroe Williams]] then threw a slab of concrete at Denny's head and knocked him unconscious. Williams then did a victory dance over Denny. He then flashed a gang sign at news helicopters, which were televising the events live, above and pointed at Denny. A man named Anthony Brown then spat on Denny and left with Williams. Several by-standers took pictures of Denny but did not attempt to help him.
Paramedics who attended to Denny said he suffered [[major trauma]] and came very close to dying. Soon after Green took him to the hospital, Denny suffered a [[Epileptic seizure|seizure]]. His [[Skull fracture|skull was fractured]] in 91 places and pushed into his brain.<ref name="Windell 2015">{{cite book |last=Windell |first=J.O. |title=Looking Back in Crime: What Happened on This Date in Criminal Justice History? |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-4987-0414-4 |page=230}}</ref><ref name="Devlin 2007" /> His left eye was so badly dislocated that it would have fallen into his [[Paranasal sinuses|sinus cavity]] had the surgeons not replaced the crushed bone with a piece of plastic.<ref name="Boyer 1993">{{cite web |last=Boyer |first=Edward J. |date=August 27, 1993 |title=Rescuers Describe Saving Beaten and Bloody Denny |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-08-27-mn-28517-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |url-access=limited}}</ref> A crater remained in his forehead despite efforts to correct it.<ref name="Devlin 2007" />


==The "L.A. Four"==
After the beating had ended, various men threw beer bottles at the unconscious Denny. Gary Williams, a drug addict who frequented the area, approached Denny and rifled through his pockets. Lance Parker, a process server for a law firm, stopped near the body and attempted to shoot the gas tank of Denny's truck but missed.
The "L.A. Four" was a nickname given to the first four men charged with the attack on Denny: Damian Williams, Henry Watson, Antoine Miller, and Gary Williams.<ref name="Curry 2017"/>


'''Damian Monroe Williams''' (born March 17, 1973{{r|Rosenberg 2010c}}) was considered the most high-profile member of the four.<ref name="Curry 2017">{{cite news |last1=Curry |first1=Fatima |last2=Fancis |first2=Enjoli |title='Let It Fall': 'L.A. Four' member speaks about life lessons, 25 years after riots |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/fall-la-member-speaks-life-lessons-25-years/story?id=46696478 |work=ABC News |date=28 April 2017}}</ref> Nicknamed "Football", he was a high-school football star before dropping out in the 10th grade.{{r|Rosenberg 2010c|Singal 2007}} Williams was identified on the video recording thanks to a large tattoo on his left arm related to the [[Crips]] street gang.<ref name="Devlin 2007" /> He was mentioned in news reports and court records as a member of the 71 Hustlers, an affiliation of the [[Eight Trey Gangster Crips]]. Williams had several juvenile arrests but no convictions. His friends recalled him as being generous to children and devoted to caring for an older brother who had been beaten in a robbery.<ref name="Rosenberg 2010c">{{cite book |last=Rosenberg |first=Charles |title=Revolts, Protests, Demonstrations, and Rebellions in American History: An Encyclopedia, Volume 3 |date=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-59884-222-7 |editor-last=Danver |editor-first=Steven L. |location=Santa Barbara, Calif. |pages=1105–1106 |chapter=Williams, Damian Monroe (1973–)}}</ref> Williams faced the most serious charges of the four, including [[attempted murder]], [[assault]], and [[aggravated mayhem]]. His jury acquitted him on those charges and instead convicted him of only four [[misdemeanor]]s and [[simple mayhem]]. He was given the maximum sentence of 10 years, but was [[parole]]d after serving four years.{{r|Rosenberg 2010c}} After his release, he was convicted in 2003 of [[second degree murder]] for his role in the 2000 killing of Grover Tinner, which took place at a house suspected of being used for selling narcotics. The victim's sister disputed that Williams had shot at Tinner, and a coalition of community and religious leaders demanded his release, saying he was being targeted because of his involvement in the Denny case. He was ultimately convicted for participating in a crime resulting in a homicide and sentenced to 41 years in prison.{{r|Rosenberg 2010c}} {{As of|2007}} he was incarcerated in [[Pelican Bay State Prison]].{{r|Rosenberg 2010c}}<ref name="Singal 2007">{{cite magazine |last=Singal |first=Jesse |date=27 April 2007 |title=The L.A. Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King: Key Figures: Damian Williams |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/la_riot/article/0,28804,1614117_1614084_1614510,00.html}}</ref>
Bobby Green, Titus Murphy, Terri Barnett and Lei Yuille, who had been watching the events on TV, came to Denny's aid. Bobby Green was a trucker with a license that allowed him to drive Denny's truck. They loaded Denny into the truck and Green drove him to the hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital, Denny suffered a [[seizure]].


'''Henry Keith Watson''' was a 27-year-old former [[United States Marine Corps|US Marine]] and ex-convict who had served time for armed robbery. After his release from prison, he married, had a daughter, and was working two jobs at the time of the attack.<ref name="Newton 1992">{{cite web |title=Denny Suspects Are Thugs to Some, Heroes to Others |date=May 25, 1992 |author=Newton, Jim |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-25-mn-234-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |url-access=limited}}</ref>
Paramedics who attended to Denny said he came very close to death. His skull was fractured in ninety-one places and pushed into the brain. His left eye was so badly dislocated that it would have fallen into his sinus cavity had not the surgeons replaced the crushed bone with a piece of plastic. A permanent crater remains in his head despite efforts to correct it.


'''Antoine Eugene Miller''' (May 5, 1972 – February 8, 2004) was a 19-year-old who lived with Damian Williams' family. Miller's mother was not able to care for him, so as a child, Miller was sent to live with his grandmother. When he was 12, his grandmother killed his grandfather during an argument and was convicted of his murder, leaving Miller homeless. Miller had previously been arrested for misdemeanor drug charges, [[Joyride (crime)|joyriding]], and failing to appear in court.<ref name="Newton 1992"/> Miller was shot and killed at age 31 in a Hollywood nightclub in February 2004.<ref name="Rogers 2017">{{cite news |last=Rogers |first=John |date=April 26, 2017 |title=A look at prominent figures in 1992 riot, where they are now |url=https://apnews.com/7f715b1715c345a7a6100567bf43fdf4 |work=Associated Press}}</ref>
== The trials of the assailants ==
*See also: [[L.A. Four]]
On [[May 12]], outgoing [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] police chief [[Daryl Gates]] started a search for three of Denny's attackers who were identified from the video of the beating. Gates himself arrested Damian Williams while Henry Watson and Antoine Miller were arrested by other officers. Soon afterwards Gary Williams gave himself up to the police, having stolen Denny's wallet. The arrested three were suspected to be part of the gang [[83 Gangster Crips|8-Tray Gangster Crips]].


'''Gary Anthony Williams''' was a 33-year-old man described as a "drifter" and a "hustler" who begged at a local gas station. Although he claimed to work there, his arrest record listed him as unemployed.<ref name="Newton 1992"/>
Gary Williams pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and assault in the spring of [[1993]] and was sentenced to three years in jail. Judge John W. Ouderkirk, granted Miller a separate trial on the grounds that the strong evidence against Watson and Damian Williams could harm his case. The two, in addition to assault charges, were charged with attempted murder. Damian Williams was also charged with aggravated mayhem.


==Trials==
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Edi M.O. Faal was the defense attorney for Damian Williams and Earl C. Broady was the defense attorney for Henry Watson. On Wednesday, [[July 28]], [[1993]], Watson's and Williams' trial began. The two were charged with the assault of Denny as well as five other motorists and two firefighters who were driving past the intersection of Florence and Normandie shortly after the start of the Los Angeles riots on [[April 29]], [[1992]]. At the trial, Denny faced his attackers for the first time since they had assaulted him. On [[August 12]], [[1993]], a jury of five whites, three blacks, three Latinos, and one Asian was chosen.


On May 12, outgoing [[Los Angeles]] police chief [[Daryl Gates]] started a search for three of Denny's attackers, who were identified from the video of the beating. Gates himself arrested Damian Williams, while other officers arrested Henry Watson and Antoine Miller.<ref name="UPI 1992">{{cite news |author=<!--staff author(s), no byline--> |date=May 12, 1992 |title=Four arrested in televised riot beating |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/05/12/Four-arrested-in-televised-riot-beating/4549705643200/ |agency=UPI |quote=I wanted very much to personally arrest him, Gates said of the man suspected of hurling a brick at Denny's head April 29. I did that all by myself with the aid of about 200 police officers.}}</ref> Soon afterward, Gary Williams gave himself up to the police. The four arrested men were suspected to be part of the [[83 Gangster Crips]].<ref name="Sun Sentinel 1992">{{cite web |date=May 13, 1992 |title=Four Arrested in Beating of Trucker During Riots |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1992-05-13-9202070988-story.html |website=Sun Sentinel}}</ref>
As in the [[Rodney King]] police trial, the prosecution relied heavily on video shot by a third party, this time in a helicopter. They also planned to build up portraits of Williams and Watson as criminal, antisocial, and beyond rehabilitation and redemption.


Defense attorney [[Johnnie Cochran]] was first asked to represent the men accused, but he refused. When offered to represent Denny, he obliged.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sipchen |first=Bob |date=1992-12-20 |title=Ready to Fight : Attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. has built a reputation on controversial police abuse cases. Now he faces heat again with a different sort of challenge--representing Reginald Denny. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-20-vw-4356-story.html |access-date=2024-05-09 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
On Thursday, [[August 19]], Lawrence Morrison, deputy [[district attorney]], delivered the opening statement. A week later, the videotape of the beating was shown. The doctors who treated Denny testified, describing his wounds and their efforts to repair them and were followed by witnesses of the beating. The defense was denied direct contact with the witnesses to protect their identities. In late August, Denny's saviors testified for the prosecution. The prosecution rested on [[September 17]], [[1993]].


Judge John W. Ouderkirk granted Miller a separate trial on the grounds that the strong evidence against Watson and Damian Williams could harm his case; Miller was sentenced to 17 months in jail and 27 months on probation.<ref name="Blankstein 2004" /> Gary Williams was sentenced to three years in jail for attempting to rob Denny and assaulting another man.<ref name="UPI 1993">{{cite news |author=<!--staff author(s), no byline--> |date=March 26, 1993 |title=Man sentenced to three years in Denny case |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/03/26/Man-sentenced-to-three-years-in-Denny-case/9270733122000/ |agency=UPI}}</ref>
The defense began pleading on [[September 20]], making a case for unpremeditated assault. Faal began by challenging the video evidence and portrayed Williams as a victim of poverty and racism. She and Broady tried to humanize their clients.


⚫
Edi M.O. Faal was Damian Williams' defense attorney, and Earl C. Broadly was Henry Watson's. On July 28, 1993, Watson's and Williams' trial began. The two were charged with the assault of Denny as well as five other motorists and two firefighters who were driving past the intersection of Florence and Normandie shortly after the start of the Los Angeles riots on April 29. At the trial, Denny faced his attackers for the first time since they had assaulted him. On August 12, 1993, a jury of five whites, three blacks, three latinos, and one asian was chosen.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}
In the closing arguments the defense attorneys claimed Williams and Watson were being used as scapegoats for the LA riots. The prosecution counterargued that the two had knowingly tried to kill Denny and were not victims.


On August 19, Deputy [[District attorney|District Attorney]] Lawrence Morrison delivered the opening statement and a week later, the videotape of the beating was shown. The doctors who treated Denny testified, describing his wounds and their efforts to repair them. Next to testify were witnesses of the beating and Denny's rescuers. The prosecution rested on September 17, 1993. The defense began pleading on September 20, making a case for unpremeditated assault, with Faal challenging the video evidence and portraying Williams as a victim of poverty and racism. In the closing arguments, the defense attorneys claimed that Williams and Watson were being used as scapegoats for the L.A. riots. The prosecution counter-argued that the two had knowingly tried to kill Denny and were not victims.{{r|Windell 2015}}
After a few jury changes, the jury arrived at a verdict of not guilty for all charges except a felony count of mayhem for Williams, and one misdemeanor assault charge for both Williams and Watson on [[October 18]]. Watson was then given credit for time served and was released. As the families of the defendants celebrated the lesser sentences, Denny surprisingly approached Damian Williams' mother Georgina and hugged her. Other family members then exchanged warm embraces and words of reconciliation with him.


Williams' lawyers successfully argued that he had not intended to kill Denny;{{r|Singal 2007}} he was found not guilty of attempted murder, assault, and aggravated mayhem, and convicted of four misdemeanors and simple mayhem, while Watson was convicted of a single misdemeanor assault charge.{{r|Rosenberg 2010c}} During a break in the trial, Denny approached Williams' mother, Georgiana, and hugged her.{{r|Rosenberg 2010a}} Watson was given credit for time served and was sentenced to three years' probation for the assaults of Denny and truck driver Larry Tarvin. Williams was denied bail and sentenced to a maximum of ten years for the assaults of Denny and four other people on December 7, 1993.<ref name="Boyer & Ford 1993">{{cite web |last1=Boyer |first1=Edward J. |last2=Ford |first2=Andrea |date=December 8, 1993 |title=Williams Given Maximum 10 Years in Denny Beating |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-08-mn-65099-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |url-access=limited}}</ref>
The outcome of the trial was said to be "payback" for the acquittal of the four police officers charged with beating [[Rodney King]]. For weeks afterwards, public debate about racism and whether the verdict was just or unjust raged on. As the debate continued, Williams was denied bail and sentenced to a maximum of ten years in prison on [[December 7]], [[1993]] by Judge Ouderkirk. Damian was released early for good behavior in [[1997]]. On [[December 5]], [[2003]], he received a life sentence for murdering a drug dealer, in July [[2000]]. He will not be eligible for parole until he serves 47 years.


==Aftermath==
Miller was shot in a nightclub on [[February 1]], [[2004]] and died from his wounds soon after.
Denny sought to soothe racial tensions associated with his assault, reminding reporters that most of his rescuers were black, as were the doctors who treated him.{{r|Rosenberg 2010a}} He became friends with the four persons that saved him, and Green was hired by Denny's employer Transit Mixed.<ref name="Sipchen 1992" /> Denny also sought to make peace with his attackers' families,{{r|Gray 2007a}} saying that Watson had "been through quite enough" having been jailed for 17 months awaiting trial.{{r|Rosenberg 2010a}} Watson later apologized to Denny during an appearance on the ''[[Phil Donahue Show]]'',{{r|Gray 2007c}} where the pair shook hands.{{r|Rosenberg 2010a|Gray 2007c}}


As a result of the injuries he suffered during the attacks, Denny had to undergo years of rehabilitative therapy, and his speech and ability to walk were also damaged.{{r|Rosenberg 2010a}}<ref name="Gray 2007a">{{cite magazine |magazine=Time |location=New York |last=Gray |first=Madison |title=The L.A. Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King: Key Figures: Reginald Denny |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/la_riot/article/0,28804,1614117_1614084_1614511,00.html |date=April 27, 2007}}</ref> During his recovery, he received over 27,000 get-well cards from supportive members of the community.<ref name="Harris 2012">{{cite news |author=Harris |first=Mark |date=April 27, 2012 |title=2002 Interview: Reginald Denny Looks Back on the LA Riots, Get-Well Cards |publisher=[[KNBC]] |url=http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Reginald-Denny-Looks-Back-on-the-LA-Riots--149165165.html}}</ref> After unsuccessfully suing the city of Los Angeles, Denny moved to Arizona to work as an independent boat motor mechanic. Denny has largely avoided the media and rarely spoken publicly about his ordeal.{{r|Rosenberg 2010a|Gray 2007a}}
Denny currently lives in [[Lake Havasu City, Arizona]] where he is a self-employed boat motor mechanic.


In 1997, Damian Williams was released from prison early for good behavior, but in 2003, he was sentenced to 46 years to life in prison for the 2000 murder of drug dealer Grover Tinner.<ref name="Munoz 2003">{{cite web |author=Munoz, Hilda |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-may-03-me-williams3-story.html |date=May 3, 2003 |work=Los Angeles Times |title=Figure in '92 Riots Convicted of Murder |url-access=limited}}</ref> As of 2017, he is incarcerated at [[California State Prison, Centinela|Centinela State Prison]].<ref name="Jordan 2017">{{cite web |author=Jordan, Billie |url=http://www.eurweb.com/2017/04/25-years-after-l-a-riots-damian-football-williams-reflects-on-his-life-and-role-in-the-rebellion/ |title=25 Years After L.A. Riots Damian 'Football' Williams Reflects On His Life And Role In The Rebellion |date=April 29, 2017 |website=Eurweb.com}}</ref> Watson was re-arrested and sentenced to three years for a [[narcotics]] conviction and, after his release, owned and operated a [[limousine]] service in Los Angeles.<ref name="Gray 2007c">{{cite magazine |last=Gray |first=Madison |date=27 April 2007 |title=The L.A. Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King: Key Figures: Henry Keith Watson |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/la_riot/article/0,28804,1614117_1614084_1614515,00.html}}</ref> On February 1, 2004, Antoine Miller was shot outside of a Hollywood nightclub during an altercation and died in [[Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]] on February 8 at the age of 31.<ref name="Blankstein 2004">{{cite web |title=Man Guilty in '92 Denny Attack Dies |author=Blankstein, Andrew |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-feb-12-me-miller12-story.html |date=February 12, 2004 |work=Los Angeles Times |url-access=limited}}</ref> Gary Williams, Henry Watson, and Damian Williams gave interviews about the riots for the 2017 documentary ''[[Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992]]''.<ref name="Let it Fall">{{cite web |url=https://abc.com/shows/let-it-fall-los-angeles-1982-1992/about-the-show |publisher=ABC Entertainment |title=Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 {{!}} About |access-date=4 March 2024}}</ref>{{Nonspecific|date=March 2024}}
⚫
==Other related litigation==
The best available footage of Denny's beating on [[April 29]], [[1992]] was filmed by Marika Tur from a helicopter piloted by her then-husband, reporter [[Bob Tur]]. Together, they operated a company called [[Los Angeles News Service]]. In the rush to cover the riots as they developed, dozens of television networks and stations around the world simply copied and aired the LANS footage without permission.


⚫
==Related litigation==
LANS sued nearly all of them in federal court for [[copyright infringement]];<ref name="StanfordCopyright">One example, succesful for the plaintiffs, was ''Los Angeles News Service v. KCAL-TV Channel 9, 108 F.3d 1119 (9th Cir. 1997)''. [http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter9/9-c.html Summaries of Fair Use Cases]. ''Copyright & Fair Use''. [[Stanford University]]. URL accessed [[August 19]] [[2006]].</ref> the last case was finally settled in [[2004]]. Only a small handful of stations, mostly in California, already had preexisting agreements with LANS or waited to negotiate agreements before airing the footage, and thus were not sued.
Video footage of Denny's beating was taken from a helicopter by Bob Tur and Marika Gerrard,{{r|Rosenberg 2010b}}<ref name="Gerdes 2014">{{cite book |editor1-last=Gerdes |editor1-first=Louise I. |title=The 1992 Los Angeles Riots |date=2014 |publisher=Greenhaven Press |location=Farmington Hills, Mich. |isbn=978-0-7377-7055-1 |page=8 |chapter=Introduction}}</ref> freelance reporters who ran the independent [[Los Angeles News Service]] (LANS). LANS sued several television stations that rebroadcast their footage for [[copyright infringement]]; at least one of these lawsuits was successful.<ref name="Stim Fair Use">{{cite web |last=Stim |first=Rich |title=Summaries of Fair Use Cases |url=https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/cases/ |website=Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center |publisher=Stanford University |access-date=4 March 2024 |date=n.d.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Entertainment Law Reporter |date=1997 |volume=19 |issue=2 |issn=0270-3831 |page=17}}</ref>


In July 2006, LANS sued the [[YouTube]] in the [[United States District Court for the Central District of California]], for copyright infringement. LANS alleged in the lawsuit that, in the space of one week, a version of the video uploaded by a YouTube user was viewed over 1,000 times via the site. They argued this hurt their ability to license the video. YouTube requested [[summary judgment]] based on [[Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act|DMCA safe harbor]], which was denied. LANS voluntarily dismissed the case [[Dismissal without prejudice|without prejudice]], planning to join a class action against YouTube in New York. YouTube appealed both the dismissal and the summary judgment ruling. However, the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit]] dismissed the appeal.<ref name="Tur v. YouTube">{{cite web |url=http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca9/07-56683/0756683-2011-02-25.html |title=Tur v. YouTube, Inc., No. 07-56683 (9th Cir. 2009) |format=PDF |website=Law.justia.com |access-date=4 March 2024}}</ref>{{Primary source inline |date=March 2024}}
In July [[2006]], the site [[YouTube]] was also sued in federal court for copyright infringement. Robert Tur said, in the lawsuit, that in one week's time, a version of the video uploaded by a YouTube user was viewed over 1,000 times via the site, thereby hurting his ability to license the video.


==References==
== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}
<references />


{{Portal|1990s}}
[[Category:1953 births|Denny, Reginald Oliver]]
[[Category:Living people|Denny, Reginald Oliver]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Denny, Reginald, Attack on}}
[[Category:People from Los Angeles|Denny, Reginald Oliver]]
[[Category:Attacks in the United States in 1992]]
[[Category:Crime victims|Denny, Reginald Oliver]]
[[Category:1992 Los Angeles riots]]
[[Category:Truck drivers|Denny, Reginald Oliver]]
[[Category:Crimes in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:racism|Denny, Reginald Oliver]]
[[Category:April 1992 events in the United States]]
[[Category:Racially motivated violence against white Americans]]
[[Category:1992 in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:April 1992 crimes]]

Latest revision as of 15:00, 22 December 2024

Attack on Reginald Denny
Part of 1992 Los Angeles riots
Looking east from the southwestern corner of Florence and Normandie Avenues, in March 2010
DateApril 29, 1992
Time6:46 pm
LocationLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Coordinates33°58′28″N 118°18′01″W / 33.974577°N 118.300285°W / 33.974577; -118.300285
TargetReginald Denny

Reginald Oliver Denny (born 1953) is a former construction truck driver who was pulled from his truck and severely beaten during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. His attackers, a group of black men who came to be known as the "L.A. Four", targeted Denny because he was white. The attack was captured on video by a news helicopter and broadcast live on U.S. national television.

Four other black L.A. residents who had witnessed the attack on live television came to Denny's aid, placing him back in his truck and driving him to the hospital. Denny suffered a fractured skull and impairment of his speech and his ability to walk, for which he underwent years of rehabilitative therapy. After unsuccessfully suing the City of Los Angeles, Denny moved to Arizona, where he worked as an independent boat mechanic and has mostly avoided media contact.

Background

[edit]
Main articles: Rodney King and 1992 Los Angeles riots

On March 3, 1991, an amateur video recording showed Rodney King, a black motorist, being badly beaten by Los Angeles Police Department officers during an arrest. The outrage resulting from the acquittal of these police officers was the principal cause of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[1]

Born in 1953 in Lansing, Michigan,[2][1] Reginald Oliver Denny was a 39-year-old truck driver at the time of the attack.[3] His parents moved to Sylmar, Los Angeles, when he was a child.[4]

Attack

[edit]
Damian Williams throwing a cinder block at Denny's head, then executing a football-style victory dance.

On April 29, 1992, at 5:39 p.m., Denny loaded his red dump truck with 27 short tons (24 t) of sand to be delivered to a plant in Inglewood. On the way, he left the Harbor Freeway and took a familiar shortcut along Florence Avenue.[3][4] He was listening to the radio, "probably KKLA, a Christian channel," Denny said, "or country station KZLA."[4] At 6:46 p.m., after he entered the intersection of Florence and Normandie Avenue, rioters threw rocks at his windows, and he heard people shouting for him to stop, forcing him to do so in the middle of the street.[3]

Video footage taken from a helicopter by freelance journalists Bob Tur and Marika Gerrard showed Denny being pulled from his truck and beaten with fists, kicked, and struck with a cinder block before being rescued by four nearby residents.[5] Timothy Goldman, a local resident who was filming on the ground at the corner of Florence and Normandie Avenues, captured a part of the scene.[6] The attack has been described as a hate crime[7] in which Denny, a white man, was targeted for his race in response to police brutality against King and the belief that the criminal justice system had failed to protect King's civil rights.[8]

Antoine Miller climbed up and opened the truck door, giving an unidentified man the chance to pull Denny out and throw him on the ground. Henry Watson stood on Denny's neck to hold him down as a group of men surrounded him and Anthony Brown kicked him in the abdomen.[9][3] As Watson walked away, two other unidentified men joined in the attack: one hurled a five-pound oxygenator stolen from Larry Tarvin's truck at Denny's head,[10] and the other kicked him and hit him with a claw hammer.[9] News footage showed Damian Williams throwing a cinder block at Denny's head, then doing a football-style victory dance in the road and gesticulating gang signs.[3][11] After the beating ended, some men threw beer bottles at the unconscious body and a man searched Denny's back pockets, taking his wallet.[9][3] Tur and Gerrard, observing the beating from their helicopter, reported that there were no police in the area.[5]

Four black residents of South Central Los Angeles, Bobby Green Jr., Lei Yuille, Titus Murphy, and Terri Barnett, who had been watching the events on television, came to Denny's aid.[2][12][13] Green, also a truck driver,[14] boarded Denny's truck and drove him to the Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood.[4] Paramedics who attended to Denny said he suffered major trauma and came very close to dying. Soon after Green took him to the hospital, Denny suffered a seizure. His skull was fractured in 91 places and pushed into his brain.[15][3] His left eye was so badly dislocated that it would have fallen into his sinus cavity had the surgeons not replaced the crushed bone with a piece of plastic.[16] A crater remained in his forehead despite efforts to correct it.[3]

The "L.A. Four"

[edit]

The "L.A. Four" was a nickname given to the first four men charged with the attack on Denny: Damian Williams, Henry Watson, Antoine Miller, and Gary Williams.[17]

Damian Monroe Williams (born March 17, 1973[11]) was considered the most high-profile member of the four.[17] Nicknamed "Football", he was a high-school football star before dropping out in the 10th grade.[11][18] Williams was identified on the video recording thanks to a large tattoo on his left arm related to the Crips street gang.[3] He was mentioned in news reports and court records as a member of the 71 Hustlers, an affiliation of the Eight Trey Gangster Crips. Williams had several juvenile arrests but no convictions. His friends recalled him as being generous to children and devoted to caring for an older brother who had been beaten in a robbery.[11] Williams faced the most serious charges of the four, including attempted murder, assault, and aggravated mayhem. His jury acquitted him on those charges and instead convicted him of only four misdemeanors and simple mayhem. He was given the maximum sentence of 10 years, but was paroled after serving four years.[11] After his release, he was convicted in 2003 of second degree murder for his role in the 2000 killing of Grover Tinner, which took place at a house suspected of being used for selling narcotics. The victim's sister disputed that Williams had shot at Tinner, and a coalition of community and religious leaders demanded his release, saying he was being targeted because of his involvement in the Denny case. He was ultimately convicted for participating in a crime resulting in a homicide and sentenced to 41 years in prison.[11] As of 2007 he was incarcerated in Pelican Bay State Prison.[11][18]

Henry Keith Watson was a 27-year-old former US Marine and ex-convict who had served time for armed robbery. After his release from prison, he married, had a daughter, and was working two jobs at the time of the attack.[19]

Antoine Eugene Miller (May 5, 1972 – February 8, 2004) was a 19-year-old who lived with Damian Williams' family. Miller's mother was not able to care for him, so as a child, Miller was sent to live with his grandmother. When he was 12, his grandmother killed his grandfather during an argument and was convicted of his murder, leaving Miller homeless. Miller had previously been arrested for misdemeanor drug charges, joyriding, and failing to appear in court.[19] Miller was shot and killed at age 31 in a Hollywood nightclub in February 2004.[20]

Gary Anthony Williams was a 33-year-old man described as a "drifter" and a "hustler" who begged at a local gas station. Although he claimed to work there, his arrest record listed him as unemployed.[19]

Trials

[edit]

On May 12, outgoing Los Angeles police chief Daryl Gates started a search for three of Denny's attackers, who were identified from the video of the beating. Gates himself arrested Damian Williams, while other officers arrested Henry Watson and Antoine Miller.[21] Soon afterward, Gary Williams gave himself up to the police. The four arrested men were suspected to be part of the 83 Gangster Crips.[22]

Defense attorney Johnnie Cochran was first asked to represent the men accused, but he refused. When offered to represent Denny, he obliged.[23]

Judge John W. Ouderkirk granted Miller a separate trial on the grounds that the strong evidence against Watson and Damian Williams could harm his case; Miller was sentenced to 17 months in jail and 27 months on probation.[24] Gary Williams was sentenced to three years in jail for attempting to rob Denny and assaulting another man.[25]

Edi M.O. Faal was Damian Williams' defense attorney, and Earl C. Broadly was Henry Watson's. On July 28, 1993, Watson's and Williams' trial began. The two were charged with the assault of Denny as well as five other motorists and two firefighters who were driving past the intersection of Florence and Normandie shortly after the start of the Los Angeles riots on April 29. At the trial, Denny faced his attackers for the first time since they had assaulted him. On August 12, 1993, a jury of five whites, three blacks, three latinos, and one asian was chosen.[citation needed]

On August 19, Deputy District Attorney Lawrence Morrison delivered the opening statement and a week later, the videotape of the beating was shown. The doctors who treated Denny testified, describing his wounds and their efforts to repair them. Next to testify were witnesses of the beating and Denny's rescuers. The prosecution rested on September 17, 1993. The defense began pleading on September 20, making a case for unpremeditated assault, with Faal challenging the video evidence and portraying Williams as a victim of poverty and racism. In the closing arguments, the defense attorneys claimed that Williams and Watson were being used as scapegoats for the L.A. riots. The prosecution counter-argued that the two had knowingly tried to kill Denny and were not victims.[15]

Williams' lawyers successfully argued that he had not intended to kill Denny;[18] he was found not guilty of attempted murder, assault, and aggravated mayhem, and convicted of four misdemeanors and simple mayhem, while Watson was convicted of a single misdemeanor assault charge.[11] During a break in the trial, Denny approached Williams' mother, Georgiana, and hugged her.[2] Watson was given credit for time served and was sentenced to three years' probation for the assaults of Denny and truck driver Larry Tarvin. Williams was denied bail and sentenced to a maximum of ten years for the assaults of Denny and four other people on December 7, 1993.[26]

Aftermath

[edit]

Denny sought to soothe racial tensions associated with his assault, reminding reporters that most of his rescuers were black, as were the doctors who treated him.[2] He became friends with the four persons that saved him, and Green was hired by Denny's employer Transit Mixed.[4] Denny also sought to make peace with his attackers' families,[12] saying that Watson had "been through quite enough" having been jailed for 17 months awaiting trial.[2] Watson later apologized to Denny during an appearance on the Phil Donahue Show,[27] where the pair shook hands.[2][27]

As a result of the injuries he suffered during the attacks, Denny had to undergo years of rehabilitative therapy, and his speech and ability to walk were also damaged.[2][12] During his recovery, he received over 27,000 get-well cards from supportive members of the community.[28] After unsuccessfully suing the city of Los Angeles, Denny moved to Arizona to work as an independent boat motor mechanic. Denny has largely avoided the media and rarely spoken publicly about his ordeal.[2][12]

In 1997, Damian Williams was released from prison early for good behavior, but in 2003, he was sentenced to 46 years to life in prison for the 2000 murder of drug dealer Grover Tinner.[29] As of 2017, he is incarcerated at Centinela State Prison.[30] Watson was re-arrested and sentenced to three years for a narcotics conviction and, after his release, owned and operated a limousine service in Los Angeles.[27] On February 1, 2004, Antoine Miller was shot outside of a Hollywood nightclub during an altercation and died in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on February 8 at the age of 31.[24] Gary Williams, Henry Watson, and Damian Williams gave interviews about the riots for the 2017 documentary Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992.[31][not specific enough to verify]

[edit]

Video footage of Denny's beating was taken from a helicopter by Bob Tur and Marika Gerrard,[5][32] freelance reporters who ran the independent Los Angeles News Service (LANS). LANS sued several television stations that rebroadcast their footage for copyright infringement; at least one of these lawsuits was successful.[33][34]

In July 2006, LANS sued the YouTube in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, for copyright infringement. LANS alleged in the lawsuit that, in the space of one week, a version of the video uploaded by a YouTube user was viewed over 1,000 times via the site. They argued this hurt their ability to license the video. YouTube requested summary judgment based on DMCA safe harbor, which was denied. LANS voluntarily dismissed the case without prejudice, planning to join a class action against YouTube in New York. YouTube appealed both the dismissal and the summary judgment ruling. However, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed the appeal.[35][non-primary source needed]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Benson, Sonia, ed. (2009). "Los Angeles Riots (1992)". UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History. Cengage. ISBN 978-1-4144-3274-8 – via Encyclopedia.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Rosenberg, Charles (2010). "Denny, Reginald (1953–)". In Danver, Steven L. (ed.). Revolts, Protests, Demonstrations, and Rebellions in American History: An Encyclopedia, Volume 3. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 1101–1102. ISBN 978-1-59884-222-7.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Devlin, Keith; Lorden, Gary (2007). The Numbers Behind NUMB3RS: Solving Crime with Mathematics. New York: Penguin. pp. 63–66. ISBN 978-1-101-21346-9.
  4. ^ a b c d e Sipchen, Bob (December 24, 1992). "Denny--Beaten but Unbowed". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ a b c Rosenberg, Charles (2010). "Los Angeles Uprising (1992)". In Danver, Steven L. (ed.). Revolts, Protests, Demonstrations, and Rebellions in American History: An Encyclopedia, Volume 3. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 1097–8. ISBN 978-1-59884-222-7.
  6. ^ Jennings, Angel; Hamilton, Matt (April 25, 2017). "At the corner of Florence and Normandie, marking causes of L.A. riots". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ^ Free, Marvin D. (1996). African Americans and the Criminal Justice System. Taylor & Francis. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-8153-1982-5. Although undoubtedly some of these hate crimes involved white victims (consider the highly publicized case of Reginald Denny who was dragged from his truck by five African American men and severely beaten after the acquittal of Los Angeles police officers charged with beating Rodney King) [...]
  8. ^ McLaughlin, K. A.; Malloy, S. M.; Brilliant, K. J.; Lang, C.; et al. (February 2000). Responding to Hate Crime: A Multidisciplinary Curriculum For Law Enforcement and Victim Assistance Professionals (PDF). Newton, Mass.: National Center for Hate Crime Prevention, Education Development Center, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 10, 2017. During the 1992 riots in Los Angeles, following the acquittal of Los Angeles police officers in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, a group of young black males dragged white truck driver Reginald Denny from the cab of his truck and severely beat him within an inch of his life. This attack has been described as a retaliatory hate crime that occurred in response to the police brutality against Rodney King, and to widespread public perception that the justice system had failed to protect King's civil rights.
  9. ^ a b c Chermak, Steven; Bailey, Frankie (2007). Crimes and Trials of the Century. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-57356-973-6.
  10. ^ Domanick, J. (2016). Blue: The LAPD and the Battle to Redeem American Policing. Simon & Schuster. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4516-4110-3.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Rosenberg, Charles (2010). "Williams, Damian Monroe (1973–)". In Danver, Steven L. (ed.). Revolts, Protests, Demonstrations, and Rebellions in American History: An Encyclopedia, Volume 3. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 1105–1106. ISBN 978-1-59884-222-7.
  12. ^ a b c d Gray, Madison (April 27, 2007). "The L.A. Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King: Key Figures: Reginald Denny". Time. New York.
  13. ^ Sastry, Anjuli; Bates, Karen Grigsby (April 26, 2017). "When LA Erupted In Anger: A Look Back At The Rodney King Riots". NPR.
  14. ^ Gray, Madison (April 27, 2007). "The L.A. Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King: Key Figures: Bobby Green". Time.
  15. ^ a b Windell, J.O. (2015). Looking Back in Crime: What Happened on This Date in Criminal Justice History?. Taylor & Francis. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-4987-0414-4.
  16. ^ Boyer, Edward J. (August 27, 1993). "Rescuers Describe Saving Beaten and Bloody Denny". Los Angeles Times.
  17. ^ a b Curry, Fatima; Fancis, Enjoli (April 28, 2017). "'Let It Fall': 'L.A. Four' member speaks about life lessons, 25 years after riots". ABC News.
  18. ^ a b c Singal, Jesse (April 27, 2007). "The L.A. Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King: Key Figures: Damian Williams". Time.
  19. ^ a b c Newton, Jim (May 25, 1992). "Denny Suspects Are Thugs to Some, Heroes to Others". Los Angeles Times.
  20. ^ Rogers, John (April 26, 2017). "A look at prominent figures in 1992 riot, where they are now". Associated Press.
  21. ^ "Four arrested in televised riot beating". UPI. May 12, 1992. I wanted very much to personally arrest him, Gates said of the man suspected of hurling a brick at Denny's head April 29. I did that all by myself with the aid of about 200 police officers.
  22. ^ "Four Arrested in Beating of Trucker During Riots". Sun Sentinel. May 13, 1992.
  23. ^ Sipchen, Bob (December 20, 1992). "Ready to Fight : Attorney Johnnie Cochran Jr. has built a reputation on controversial police abuse cases. Now he faces heat again with a different sort of challenge--representing Reginald Denny". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Blankstein, Andrew (February 12, 2004). "Man Guilty in '92 Denny Attack Dies". Los Angeles Times.
  25. ^ "Man sentenced to three years in Denny case". UPI. March 26, 1993.
  26. ^ Boyer, Edward J.; Ford, Andrea (December 8, 1993). "Williams Given Maximum 10 Years in Denny Beating". Los Angeles Times.
  27. ^ a b c Gray, Madison (April 27, 2007). "The L.A. Riots: 15 Years After Rodney King: Key Figures: Henry Keith Watson". Time.
  28. ^ Harris, Mark (April 27, 2012). "2002 Interview: Reginald Denny Looks Back on the LA Riots, Get-Well Cards". KNBC.
  29. ^ Munoz, Hilda (May 3, 2003). "Figure in '92 Riots Convicted of Murder". Los Angeles Times.
  30. ^ Jordan, Billie (April 29, 2017). "25 Years After L.A. Riots Damian 'Football' Williams Reflects On His Life And Role In The Rebellion". Eurweb.com.
  31. ^ "Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 | About". ABC Entertainment. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  32. ^ Gerdes, Louise I., ed. (2014). "Introduction". The 1992 Los Angeles Riots. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Greenhaven Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7377-7055-1.
  33. ^ Stim, Rich (n.d.). "Summaries of Fair Use Cases". Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center. Stanford University. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  34. ^ Entertainment Law Reporter. Vol. 19. 1997. p. 17. ISSN 0270-3831.
  35. ^ "Tur v. YouTube, Inc., No. 07-56683 (9th Cir. 2009)" (PDF). Law.justia.com. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
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