Early life
King was born in Sacramento, California, to Odessa King, who had four other children. His father, Ronald, died at age 42. King grew up in Pasadena, California.[4]
In November 1989, King robbed a store in Monterey Park, California. He threatened to hit the Korean store owner with an iron bar he was carrying, then hit him with a pole. King stole US$200 in the robbery. He was convicted, sentenced to two years imprisonment and released after serving a year.[4]
At the time of the beating, King was twice divorced and had three children.[4] His ex-wives were (firstly) Crystal Waters and Danetta.[5]
Confrontation
Officer Tim Singer ordered King and his two passengers to exit the vehicle and lie face down on the ground. The two passengers complied and were taken into custody without incident.[6] King initially remained in the car. When he finally did emerge, he acted bizarrely: giggling; patting the ground; and waving to the police helicopter overhead.[12] King then grabbed his buttocks. Officer Melanie Singer momentarily thought he was reaching for a gun.[13] She drew her gun and pointed it at King, ordering him to lie on the ground. King complied. Singer approached King with her gun drawn, preparing to make the arrest.
Post-arrest events
King sued the city over the beating, settling for $3.8 million.