Rodney King, who shot to national fame after the acquittal of three of four cops that beat him during an arrest caused national outcry and violent unrest in Los Angeles, has been arrested for suspicion of DUI in Moreno Valley, California.
Since the incident in 1991 and resultant 1992 riots that ultimately caused 53 deaths, King has struggled with alcoholism and had several subsequent run-ins with police. King appeared on the 2009 season of Celebrity Rehab alongside recently deceased Grease star Jeff Conaway . On the show, King cited lingering trauma from the incident as a trigger that prevented him from conquering his alcohol addiction. Critics of King have pointed out that his version of events from the night of the arrest don’t match the videotape that was widely circulated and sparked the massive controversy.
King, who won a civil suit with damages of over $3 million after the controversial criminal trial, was arrested around 2:30 PM local time, and a police news release says he was observed committing “several traffic violations” before his DUI arrest.