BBC World News, 17 June 2012 Last updated at 11:30 U.S. ET
Los Angeles riots figure Rodney King found dead
Rodney King, the figure at the centre of the Los Angeles riots 20 years ago, has been found dead aged 47, according to US media reports.
His fiancee found his body at the bottom of a swimming pool, but there was no sign of foul play.
King was a victim of police brutality in 1991, but the officers involved were acquitted the following year.
The verdict triggered clashes between black youths and police which left more than 50 dead and thousands injured.
King recently marked the twentieth anniversary of the Los Angeles riots -- the six-days of mayhem that took place after four Los Angeles police officers were acquitted of beating King in 1991. The beating, which was caught on camera, sparked national outrage and put King at the center of heated debate on the state of race relations in America.
This is a developing story...
continued with a report on his history.....
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