(By Day 3 things were starting to calm down a bit)
By May 1st of 1992, Los Angeles had been witness to one of the more devasating riots in recent memory for three endless days. All sparked by the beating of black motorist Rodney King, the city went ballistic when the police officers responsible for the beating were acquitted during a trial held in the suburb of Simi Valley on April 29. The riot was widespread, heading as far west as Santa Monica and laying waste to entire blocks in Hollywood. With curfews enforced and National Guard troops called in, the city finally returned to calm by the weekend of May 2nd.
On May 1st, President Bush addressed the situation, authorizing the use of Marines and a detachment of Army Infantry to patrol the city streets in order to prevent further looting and fires which turned the L.A. sky red at night.
L.A. just wasnt quite the same after that.
(The incident that sparked the outrage)