THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.101.NO.145
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
FRIDAY,MAY1,1992
ADVERTISING:864-4358
(USPS 650-640)
NEWS:864-4810
Death toll rises to 27 in Los Angeles riot
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Riots, arson and looting raged in the Los Angeles area yesterday, and the death toll rose to 27 as National Guard troops moved into neighborhoods hooded by outrage over the Rodnev King verdict.
Gunfire erupted after two dozen Guard soldiers arrived at a video arcade threatened by looters. The machine-gun-toting soldiers did not return fire
Bands of people roamed the streets long after a dusk-to-dawn curfew took effect. Police said there were no immediate arrests.
About 900 people had been injured and 378 arrested in the outburst of destruction that terrorized vast parts of the city for a second day, from downtown to the suburban San Fernando Valley.
At nightfall yesterday, violence had spread into San Bernardino, 60 miles to the east, where one person died in a gun battle between a security guard and a motorist that police said was riot-related
A gang in Long Beach, a city south of Los Angeles, pulled two motorcyclists from their bikes last night and robbed, beat and shot them. One died and the other was critically injured.
Vandals descended upon historic Hollywood Boulevard west of downtown, setting fire to at least one business.
Fire officials said 68 fires were burning at mid-evening.
Arizona Gov. Fife Symington said California Gov. Pete Wilson had asked him for National Guard equipment and told him: "It's out of control." Wilson declared a state of emergency and headed to Los Angeles from the capital. Sacramento.
Much of the city shut down. Bus service was halted, professional sporting events were postponed, thousands of businesses and schools were closed, and some flights were rerouted around columns of smoke. Santa Monica, to the west, closed its beaches.
Shoppers stocked up on batteries and candles, fearing power outages as night approached.
The Rodney King case
A summary of the verdicts in the Rodney King beating case, and a look at what's ahead:
"Why tear down something you
| | Sgt. Stacey C. Koon | Officer Laurence M. Powell | Officer Timothy Wind | Officer Theodore Briseno |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Assault with a deadly weapon | Not guilty | Not guilty | Not guilty | Not guilty |
| Excessive use of force | Not guilty | Mistrial | Not guilty | Not guilty |
| Filing a false police report | Not guilty | Not guilty | | |
| Accessory after the fact | Not guilty | | | |
What happens next
Wednesday's verdict did not close the Rodney King beating case. Here's a look at remaining lawsuits and investigations:
May 15 hearing in Superior Court on whether to retry Officer Laurence Powell on excessive-force charge that resulted in mistrial.
Federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Rodney King is pending.
$83 million claim
billed by Rodney
King against city
of Los Angeles
is pending.
FBI civil rights investigation of the officers is being conducted.
own? We all have to make a living here. I just don't understand it," said Miles Taylor, 49, an African-American man who has lived in South Central Los Angeles since 1965, when the Watsts屯exploded in riots.
Police Department hearings to determine whether disciplinary action should be taken against SgI, Stacey Koon, Officers Laurence Powell, Theodore Briseno. Officer Timothy Wind has been fired.
Pollice departments confirmed 19
deaths in Los Angeles, one in San
Benito County.
Most of the riots were African-American, but whites, Asians and Hispanics took part in some of the violence.
Marty Westman, Knight-Ridder Tribune
By 9 p.m., firefighters had responded to 1,231 structure fires. Two firefighters were wounded by gunfire.
Students infuriated with Los Angeles trial results
Police arrested six youths in suburban Compton and said they might have been part of a youth gang that was trying to torch 10 buildings an hour.
By Jay Williams
"To them, it's a free-for-all," said California Highway Patrol Lt. Bud
Kansan staff writer
The images of Wednesday night and early yesterday morning spread through Kansas like a grass fire jump-started by the gasoline used to set alzace city blocks in Los Angeles.
As four white Los Angeles police officers who were acquitted of beating African-American motorist Rodney King walked out of a California courtroom Wednesday, modern technology brought the verdict and its aftermath to the nation.
Rallies in Kansas City, Mo., and Topeka attracted several hundred people who protested the acquittal of the Los Angeles officers by a predominantly white injury.
In Lawrence, KU students said their reactions ranged from surprise and shock to pain when they learned of the decision.
Students said the California jury did not make the right decision when it decided to acquit three of the four officers of all charges. The fourth officer's case ended with a hung jury.
Chris Hamilton, Kansas City Kan., sophomore, said the decision
hurthim deeply.
Hamilton sat in front of Wescoe Hall as friends stopped to speak with him. The focus of the discussion turned to the events in Los Angeles.
"The decision shows that in America today, a Black person's life is not of any value," he said. "Until white people suffer, nobody will care."
Hamilton said the acquittal sent a dangerous message that police could attack anyone they wanted to, regardless of ethnic background.
"It was a legal lvnching," he said.
Reports that law enforcement officers and other government officials were slow to enter predominantly African-American neighborhoods did not surprise him, Hamilton said.
"If the riots had been tearing up Beverly Hills, it would not have taken the National Guard five hours to get there," he said.
Carlos Fleming, Cleveland junior, said he was disappointed in the division between African Americans in Los Angeles Wednesday night. He said he hoped the community could unite to effect positive change
"They kept saying on the news just
"small pockets of violence," "Fleming said. "It is a sad statement on the Black community in Los Angeles."
Fleming said it was difficult to unite different forces to push toward positive change, as occurred in the civil-rights movement of the 1960s, because of proliferation of gangs in Los Angeles, for example.
Kris Swanson, McHeerry, Ill., freshman, said he could understand the frustration of the people in Los Angeles.
While he did not condone violence, Swanson said, "If this is working, they should keep it up, so somebody will listen to them.
"They've got to limit what they're destroying, but if I was out there, would be out in the streets, too."
Carrie Grant, Burke, Va., freshman, said she had not seen footage of the destruction in Los Angeles, but had seen the videotape of the incident that led to the charges.
"I saw the tape of the beating, and it looked like they were guilty," she said. "But I don't know if the violence is good. That really doesn't solve anything."
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
Shields.
Near downtown, a security guard was fatally shot in a gun battle with looters outside a store.
More than 100 Korean-owned stores were burned, looted or robbed. Racial tensions between blacks and Korean-Americans have seethed for several years.
About 1,000 National Guard soldiers armed with M-16 rifles and pistols
were on the streets by mid-evening, and another 1,000 were preparing to go to troubled areas to patrol and protect firefighters, said Lt. Stanley Zezotarski, a Guardrepresentative.
Wilson ordered the deployment of 2,000 more, and hundreds of Highway Patrol officers were flown in from Northern California.
Demonstrations were held in cities across the nation to protest the acqui-
tal of the four police officers whose beating of King was captured on videoeographer by an amateur photographer.
The protests turned violent in Atlanta, where African-American youths smashed windows and attacked a few whites. In San Francisco, demonstrators blocked the Bay Bridge and major highways.
See related story, Page 6.
Haskell will not lease JRP Hall
Department of Interior denies funding request, disappoints both universities
By Andy Taylor
Kansan staff writer
Joseph R. Pearson Hall will not be leased to Haskell Indian Junior College because Haskell's funding request was not approved by the Department of the Interior, KU and Haskell officials said yesterday.
The officials said that despite the decision, JRP would not be used as a
Hannes Combesh, education assistant to the president of Haskell, said the department's decision was a disappointment for both schools.
"We are all disappointed,"she said. "We are currently examining every option to accommodate our students."
The Department of the Interior is in charge of approving financial requests for American-Indian institutions and reservations.
Combest the U.S. Congress appropriated $3 million for construction of a residence hall at Haskell. But that money did not include financing the JRP lease. The initial agreement to lease JRP for 10 months was about $800,000, which included transportation costs.
"The decision was simply a funding issue," she said. Design and plans for the new hall have not been determined.
KU officials announced in March that the University would lease JRP for one year because Haskell was renovating two residence halls and planning to build another.
Haskell currently has seven residence halle three men, three womens.
"We are sorry the agreement was not approved by the Department of the Interior," he said. "It would have served the needs of both institutions. But we are going to continue to work together on a variety of issues."
Del Shankel, interim executive vice chancellor at KU, said cooperation between the two schools would continue even if Haskell could not lease JRP.
He also said KU decided to close JRP as a residence hall because fewer residents were living on campus.
"One of the major considerations is that occupancy is down in the residence halls," he said.
"We are too far down the runway to turn around and go back in the
Ken Stoner KUdirector of student housing
hangar"”
Although Shankel said he could not speculate as to the future plans of JRP, he said the University might make use of the space.
Ken Stoner, KU director of student housing, said it was too late to reconsider using JRP as a residence hall.
"We are too far down the runway to turn around and go back in the hangar," he said. "We'll be taking a hard look at future uses. We're looking for space needs for the University."
Jason Van Hecke, president at JRP, said the government's decision and KU's announcement shocked JRP residents.
"I guess these things can happen," he said. "We have been told that the arrangement between KU and Haskell was a done deal and that they were just waiting for final approval for funding."
Van Hecke said the department of housing worked with JRP residents to find housing for next year.
"The housing department left a couple of wings open for JRP students in each of the residence halls," he said. "But a lot of the guys here like the location to campus."
Rich Heap, a belleville III., freshman and a member of JRP's executive board, said JRP residents would contact KU officials this week to try keep the residence hall open next year for KU students. "It was the intention of the Pearson family to have a residence hall in a prime location close to campus," he said. "We have a valid purpose in trying to work with the University."
Eca Edmands speaks about her family's flight from the Nazis. Edmands spoke to a group of people observing Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, at Smith Hall last night. See related story, Page 3.
State senator will terminate legislative career after this session
By Gayle Osterberg and Greg Farmer
Kansan staff writers
After State Sen. Wint Winter Jr., R-Lawrence, announced yesterday morning that he would not seek re-election, State Rep. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence, said she would run for his Senate seat.
Accompanied by his wife and three daughters, Winter announced his retirement at a morning press conference in Lawrence. He rescinded his decision with teary-eyed colleagues.
"The discharge of my professional, legislative and family responsibilities has required a number of compromises," Winter said in Lawrence. "The growing demands in the future,
Winter, who is ending his legislative career after 10 years in the state Senate, said he needed more time for his family and law career.
Winter, a KU alumus, has been a vocal advocate for the University of Kansas. During the current session, he pushed for full state financing of Hoch's reconstruction and 100-percent fee waivers for graduate teaching assistants.
with respect to all three areas, would not allow me to avoid unacceptable compromises if I were to continue to serve. I look forward to not having to choose between my wife and children, constituents and clients."
In a prepared statement, Chancellor Gene Budig said: "The University of Kansas has no better friend than Wint. Winter. He has stood with us through good and difficult times. He has been an informed and effective advocate for higher education in Kansas."
Praeger, who is serving her first two-year term as a representative, said she also would miss Winter.
"Wint has been such a leader," she said. "He
will be missed. I hope to be able to fill that void. There are some issues, particularly higher education and children's issues, that I have tried to address in the House of Representatives and would like to address in the Senate."
Winter was not available for comment after Praeger said she would run for the seat he was vacating, but he said during his morning announcement that he would be delighted if the candidate were Praeger.
"I think she would do a tremendous job," he said.
In addition to representing the University, Winter has taken the lead on many issues of statewide interest, including investigation and reform of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.
State Sen. Richard Bond, R-Overland Park, is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Winter heads.
He also has affected the state's criminal sentencing and parole laws and the recently publicized abortion bill, which the governor signed
"Wint has been an outstanding senator," Bond said. "He is a hard worker and a very sensitive guy. I feel very close to him as a friend and a colleague. It hurts a lot to lose him in the Senate, but it hurts more for me to know I will continue in this body without him here."
"Wint and I seldom agreed," Bogina said. "But he tried to represent the University and his community the best he could. You can't take anything away from him for that. He was zealous in his efforts."
Even one of Winter's long-time rivals, State Sen. Gus Bogina, Sh-Rawnee, said the Senate would be left with a hole that would be difficult to fill. Bogina heads the Senate Ways and Means Committee, of which Winter is a member.
Winter said that although he was retiring from the Legislature he was not retiring from public service.
He said that he was not considering any other office now but that running for attorney general in 1994 was a possibility.
Winter, who attended KU on a football scholarship and graduated from the KU School of Law in 1978, is a second-generation Lawrence lawmaker.
Wint Winter Sr. was a lawyer, judge, state senator and banker. The elder Winter once considered running for governor but decided against it because he said his family was more important.
Following his father's example, Winter said the decision to retire from the Senate was something his whole family had considered sinceomas and he was comfortable with the choice.