LAPD Sergeant From Rodney King Beating Arrested In DUI Crash

LOS ANGELES, CA — Former LAPD Sgt. Stacey Koon, the officer at the center of the notorious Rodney King beating, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving following a crash in Castaic, the California Highway Patrol announced Thursday.

Koon plowed his SUV into a parked pickup truck in Castaic at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Castaic, said CHP Officer Eric Priessman. He submitted to a blood test and was found to be over the legal limit by a "decent amount," ABC news reported.

Koon, 67, was the only person in his 1999 white GMC Yukon during the crash on Heather Lane west of Greenwood Place. No one was injured in the crash, according to authorities.

"Mr. Koon remained polite and cooperative throughout the incident," Priessman said.

Koon was booked at the sheriff's Santa Clarita Valley station, and he has already been released, Priessman said.

It's not the former police sergeant's first time behind bars. In 1992, Koon and three other officers were acquitted of using excessive force against King, a verdict that set off three days of rioting that claimed 63 lives. The next year, Koon was one of two officers convicted in federal court of violating King's civil rights, and he was sentenced to 30 months in prison after video of officers beating King was released to the media.

City News Service contributed to this report. Photo: Youtube screengrab