SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) — A former Los Angeles police sergeant who went to prison for his role in the beating of black motorist Rodney King has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol.
City News Service reports Stacey Koon faces two misdemeanor counts for allegedly crashing his truck into a parked vehicle on May 1.
Koon wasn’t hurt. The 67-year-old entered his plea on Tuesday and a judge scheduled an Oct. 3 pretrial hearing.
Koon and three other LAPD officers were charged with using excessive force for a 1991 videotaped beating of King that made international headlines. Their acquittal on state charges led to rioting in 1992 that claimed dozens of lives.
Koon and Officer Laurence Powell later went to prison on federal civil rights charges. Koon was released in 1995.
