1992 L.A. Riots

[417atty]

I want to share some pics that I took 25 years ago. I had just completed field training a few weeks before the Rodney King verdicts and the ensuing riots. Although the rioting and widespread looting started on April 29, 1992, I didn't have a camera with me until Day 2. If you have stories or pics from the riots, post them here!

These pics were taken on film with a point-and-shoot 35mm so I had to scan them. Some are a bit blurry because they were taken from a moving car and/or without a flash.

On my way to the station S/B on La Brea Ave.

01.1 - everything is free!.jpg

Come and get some new furniture! Bring your pick-up truck!

02 - everything is free!.jpg

Everything is free!

02 - Payless Shoes.jpg

A crowd is starting to form at Top Valu market. Note that Payless Shoes is still intact, but not for long...

03 - burger king.jpg

Burger King did not open today.

04 - burger king.jpg

[417atty]

1992 L.A. Riots, continued

05 - La Brea & Hawthorne Blvd.jpg

I believe that's an Inglewood PD unit sitting there.

06 - burning bldg.jpg

By nightfall there were so many fires that thick smoke hung in the air. The largest fire I saw was at Manchester Blvd. and Vermont Ave. There, the indoor swap meet was looted and set ablaze. The resulting fire engulfed an entire city block. Over the course of several days, more than three thousand arson fires were set and 55 people were killed.

08 - squad.jpg

The squad I was assigned to consisted of three (or was it four) units riding four deputies deep. We only responded to calls involving assaults against persons. We heard sporadic gunfire and sirens from emergency vehicles in the distance and we drove around with our shotgun barrels sticking out of the windows. Before the dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed, hundreds of people were everywhere looting stores and carrying goods to their cars. They would run if we stopped our convoy and then return as soon as we left. Traffic signals were largely ignored by most drivers. It seemed like the whole city was on fire and everyone had gone crazy!

08 - 838.jpg

I didn't realize how old those cars look until someone mentioned it to me today.

07 - Convoy.jpg

[417atty]

1992 L.A. Riots, continued

09 - Century Blvd.jpg

Somewhere on Century Blvd... Looters ran as soon as we arrived.

To those who may feel that more businesses could have been saved by law enforcement, consider this: Even if every police officer and deputy sheriff in Los Angeles County was on duty at the same time, there would only be enough personnel to secure a tiny fraction of all the locations targeted. The looters numbered in the THOUSANDS! If one mini mall was secure, the looters would just go across the street to another mini mall. And, it wasn't just looting that was taking place. For example, innocent people were being assaulted, firefighters were getting shot at, Los Angeles City Hall and LAPD HQ were under siege, and rioting was occurring within the county jails.

With a squad of 12 deputies, we could barely encircle a small mini mall if we wanted to. At most, our station had maybe seven or eight squads in the field at any given time. And, tactically, it was extremely unwise to chase/arrest every individual looter when hostile crowds had gathered at every location we responded to. Can you imagine a foot pursuit in the middle of a riot? And, how do you transport arrestees in the middle of a riot when resources are already scarce? It wasn't until mutual aid, federal troops and National Guard took up fixed posts that businesses were truly protected.

By nightfall, the station jail must have held over five times its capacity and it seemed like the looters knew we couldn’t take any more people into custody.

09 - Check cashing.jpg

Local check cashing store. Hey, the glass inside really IS bullet proof!

09.1 - Looted.jpg

Looters came back as soon as we left to pick the store clean and set it on fire.

10 - Looted and burned.jpg

Security bars weren't much help here. They were just a minor inconvenience to most looters.

[417atty]

1992 L.A. Riots, continued

12 - Vermont Ave..jpg

13 - Vermont Ave after curfew.jpg
Vermont Ave south of Manchester Blvd... LAPD had the east side of Vermont and we had the west side. Hey you! You're out past curfew!

12.2 - Vermont Ave - this is my surprised face.jpg
Smile! You'll see yourself on CALGUNS in 25 years!

31.2 - Busted.jpg
Busted.

14 - Payless Burning Lennox & Hawthorne Blvd.jpg
I think this was Day 3, or maybe Day 4. Fatigue was setting in. The Payless shoe store kitty-corner from the station was looted and burned. But hey, free shoes for everyone! Note National Guardsman at check point. The poor guy probably wishes he had something to stand behind, like maybe a pile of sandbags.

[hermosabeach]

I recall the chaos on day 1... and calling my insurance company to up my limit on renters insurance.....


I went to the top of a parking structure and was counting fires in the area... as I was getting to around 50, the entire mini / strip mall next to me went up in flames.... it then dawned on my that 1 spare mag for a 1911 was not enough......

[CinnamonBear723]

Thanks for sharing. Those pictures are outstanding!

[CinnamonBear723]

I recall the chaos on day 1... and calling my insurance company to up my limit on renters insurance.....


I went to the top of a parking structure and was counting fires in the area... as I was getting to around 50, the entire mini / strip mall next to me went up in flames.... it then dawned on my that 1 spare mag for a 1911 was not enough......

I dont have any memory of this. I was only in first grade when it all went down and i grew up behind the orange curtain.

[ShaneB]

Wow... I was getting ready to start high school when this went down. I sat in front of the TV and watched the news for the few days it went on. Right after this happened my father went out and bought his first pistol. I think if we see this again it will be a lot worse.

[ShockBros]

Crazy! Thanks for sharing.

[Ora Serrata]

Thanks for sharing those OP!

Lived in a very safe suburb, but were still all loaded up in case...

I left for Europe on the 3rd day - remember watching all the smoke from the plane as we took off. Wish I'd taken pics.

[Ora Serrata]

I think if we see this again it will be a lot worse.

Couldn't be because all the new gun laws that have passed since then resulted in clean gun-free streets and effectively disarmed all the criminals in LA.....

[micro911]

I was sent to Florence and Normandie the first night. Worked 12 hour shifts for 2 weeks straight without a day off. It was one tough time.

[TeeMon5]

Thanks for sharing these pics. Tough days for you guys!

[ojisan]

Thanx for posting these.

[DaveInOroValley]

I remember driving through the area soon after the riots. Worked for a medical equipment company and the entire area we used to go through previously looked like a third world country after the riots. Crazy stuff, thanks for the reminder.