PRINTER'S NO. 3551
No. 320 Session of 1992
INTRODUCED BY HUGHES, WILLIAMS AND JAMES, JUNE 6, 1992
INTRODUCED, MAY 6, 1992
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Urging the President of the United States and the United States
2 Department of Justice to prosecute to the fullest extent of
3 the law and to move effectively and aggressively to end
4 police brutality around the country.
5 WHEREAS, On March 3, 1991, Rodney King, a defenseless,
6 unarmed African-American motorist, was savagely attacked and
7 severely beaten by four white police officers while an entourage
8 of other police officers and department officials stood by and
9 watched; and
10 WHEREAS, The April 29, 1992, verdict from a jury of six men
11 and six women, none of whom were African-American, that found
12 the four police officers not guilty of charges that they had
13 brutalized Rodney King by the use of excessive force was truly a
14 miscarriage of justice. This verdict shows that the poison of
15 racism is so powerful that it can obscure the plain truth as
16 evidenced by the videotape showing the beating; and
17 WHEREAS, The mere fact that the people who inflicted the
18 brutality were wearing a badge cannot be allowed to shield them
1 from liability for their criminal actions; and
2 WHEREAS, It is fully acknowledged that the overwhelming
3 majority of police and law enforcement officers throughout this
4 country carry out their duties in a professional and responsible
5 manner; and
6 WHEREAS, The word must go out across the country to every
7 police department and law enforcement agency that excessive use
8 of force by officers will not be tolerated; and
9 WHEREAS, It is the social responsibility of law enforcement
10 officers to serve and protect their communities, and accordingly
11 they must be held to a higher standard of accountability and
12 answer to the communities to which they are assigned to serve;
13 therefore be it
14 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
15 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the United States
16 Department of Justice to prosecute to the fullest extent of the
17 law those officers and individuals who may have been involved in
18 any acts of conspiracy or civil rights violations in the Rodney
19 King incident; and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
21 Pennsylvania urge the President of the United States and the
22 Attorney General of the United States to take a leadership role
23 and to aggresively pursue the investigation and potential
24 prosecution of any other instance of police brutality that has
25 previously occurred or may be reported throughout the country;
26 and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately
28 transmitted to the President of the United States, the Attorney
29 General of the United States and to the presiding officers of
30 each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from
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1 Pennsylvania.
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