Editing Rodney King (section)

===Beating===
Officer Tim Singer ordered King and his two passengers to exit the vehicle and to lie face down on the ground. Allen claims that he was manhandled, kicked, stomped, taunted and threatened.<ref>{{cite news|date= March 21, 1991|title= Passenger Describes L.A. Police Beating Of Driver, Calls It Racial|url= http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-03-21/news/9101140811_1_police-officers-bryant-allen-three-men|newspaper= [[The New York Times]]|access-date= November 10, 2014|archive-date= November 11, 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141111070629/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-03-21/news/9101140811_1_police-officers-bryant-allen-three-men|url-status= dead}}</ref> Helms was hit on the head while lying on the ground; he was treated for a laceration on the top of his head.<ref>{{cite news |last= Newton|first= Jim|date= March 6, 1993|title= Prosecutor Says Officers Hit Passenger in King's Car|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-03-06-me-157-story.html|newspaper= [[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date= November 10, 2014}}</ref> His bloody baseball cap was turned over to police. King remained in the car. When he emerged, King was reported to have giggled, to have patted the ground and waved to the police helicopter overhead.<ref name="usnews.com"/> King grabbed his buttocks, which Officer Melanie Singer took to mean King was reaching for a weapon,<ref>Cannon. ''Official Negligence'': p. 27.</ref> though he was later found to be unarmed.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4245175/rodney-king-la-riots-anniversary/|title=Rodney King Beating at 25: What Happened in Los Angeles|first1=Chelsea|last1=Matiash|first2=Lily|last2=Rothman|date=March 3, 2016|access-date=July 20, 2016|magazine=Time}}</ref> She drew her pistol and pointed it at King, ordering him to lie on the ground. Singer approached, gun drawn, preparing to arrest him. At this point, Koon, the ranking officer at the scene, told Singer that the LAPD was taking command and ordered all officers to holster their weapons.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Bid for Officers' Acquittal Fails: King case: The judge, in rejecting the defense motion, rules that there is sufficient evidence to support a conviction of each defendant in the beating of the motorist|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-03-18-me-3983-story.html|newspaper = Los Angeles Times|date = March 18, 1992|access-date = November 21, 2015|issn = 0458-3035|first = Richard A.|last = Serrano}}</ref>

According to the official report, LAPD Sergeant Koon ordered the four other LAPD officers at the scene—Briseno, Powell, Solano and Wind—to subdue and handcuff King using a technique called a "swarm", where multiple officers grab a suspect with empty hands, to overcome potential resistance quickly. The four officers claim King resisted attempts to restrain him when he stood up to remove Officers Powell and Briseno from his back. Both King and witnesses dispute that claim. The officers would also testify later that they believed King was under the influence of [[phencyclidine]] (PCP),<ref>Cannon. ''Official Negligence'': {{Page needed|date=September 2010}}</ref> although King's toxicology tested negative for the drug.<ref>Cannon, Lou (March 16, 1993). "[http://tech.mit.edu/V113/N14/king.14w.html Prosecution Rests Case in Rodney King Beating] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305012123/http://tech.mit.edu/V113/N14/king.14w.html |date=March 5, 2016 }}". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. Retrieved December 1, 2009.</ref>

At this point, Holliday's video recording shows King on the ground after being tasered by Koon. He rises and rushes toward Powell—as argued in court, either to attack Powell or to flee—and King and Powell collided in a rush.<ref name="report 91"/>{{rp|6}} Taser wire can be seen on King's body. Officer Powell strikes King with his [[baton (law enforcement)|baton]], and King is knocked to the ground. Powell strikes King several more times with his baton. Briseno moves in, attempting to stop Powell from striking again, and Powell stands back. Koon reportedly said, "Stop! Stop! That's enough! That's enough!" King rises again, to his knees; Powell and Wind are seen hitting King with their batons.<ref>{{cite web|last=Serrano|first=Richard A.|date=March 7, 1992|title=CHP Officer Describes Chase, Beating of King : LAPD: One defendant tried to stop another's baton blows to motorist's head, she says.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-03-07-mn-3544-story.html|access-date=October 21, 2020|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>

Koon acknowledged ordering the continued use of batons, directing Powell and Wind to strike King with "power strokes". According to Koon, Powell and Wind used "bursts of power strokes, then backed off". The officers beat King. In the videotape, King continues to try to stand again. Koon orders the officers to "hit his joints, hit the wrists, hit his elbows, hit his knees, hit his ankles". Officers Wind, Briseno, and Powell attempted numerous baton strikes on King, resulting in some misses but with 33 blows hitting King, plus seven<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/march-1991-rodney-king-videotape-9758031|title=Video: March 7, 1991: Video of Rodney King Beaten by Police Released|website=ABC News}}</ref> kicks. The officers again "swarm" King, but this time a total of eight officers are involved in the swarm. King is placed in handcuffs and cord cuffs, restraining his arms and legs. King is dragged on his abdomen to the side of the road to await the arrival of emergency medical rescue.<ref>{{cite web|last=Curry|first=George E.|date=June 23, 2012|title=Rodney King symbolized police brutality|url=https://milwaukeecourieronline.com/index.php/2012/06/23/rodney-king-symbolized-police-brutality/l|access-date=August 25, 2022 |website=Milwaukee Courier Online|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Gray |first= D.E. |author-link= |date=March 9, 2010 |title=The Warrior in Me |location= |publisher=  Xlibris|page= 212|isbn=978-1-4500-5797-4}}</ref>