Officer Powell: ‘I Never Harbored Any Malice’

The article below by suspended Los Angeles Police Officer Laurence Powell presents his feelings, without the intermediaries of the press or his lawyers or other spokesmen. I am a friend of his aunt and, after seeing the family’s anguish, I had a long meeting with Powell himself. As a medical doctor, I wanted to help heal divisions in the community; Powell himself was not my mission. But I came to believe in Powell’s sorrow about being at the center of a Los Angeles nightmare that began with the Rodney King incident.

The words are taken from a short videotape that his aunt and I helped Powell produce. He had hoped it would help ease the bitter anger of the community. But by the time the final video was ready, the L.A. riots were over, Powell’s retrial was set and the speech was not entirely timely.

In helping produce the video, I met the three minority children to whom Powell refers here. All three have medical problems that require special care. One Latina child, for instance, cannot get too far from her oxygen tank. When I discovered the three were living in Powell’s home, I was moved.

Powell’s remarks should be made public because, I believe, he is sincere. His intended speech speaks for itself.

The writer is a Southern California physician. He withheld his name because of the climate of tension.

I want to express my feelings about this tragic and extremely sad episode in the recent history of our country. I made this (statement) with the help of my family and friends to take this opportunity to discuss outside the courtroom the night of March 3, 1991, and its tragic aftermath and to let you know how sad I feel about this horrible situation.

Since the verdict was handed down, the subsequent riots, wanton destruction, lawlessness and most of all the loss of many lives have left me in a state of total shock and dismay. You cannot know how badly I feel about the many innocent victims involved. I want them to know that my daily prayers are with them and their families.

Circumstances beyond anyone’s control placed Rodney King and me into a confrontation we didn’t ask for. As a police officer, it was my duty to apprehend him. I am sorry he suffered any injuries as result of his arrest. I want you to know that I never harbored any personal malice toward Mr. King, nor do I to this date. I did not know the man.

And now, most important, I want to bring up the delicate issue of racism. I am saddened by the accusations of racism. I want you to know that my girlfriend of four years is Hispanic and proud to be a police officer. I would also like you to know that my Mom and Dad and my sisters and I have cared for and nurtured many foster children while I was growing up and the majority of them were African-American or Hispanic. My affection for them has helped mold my life. Currently we are caring for a 3-year-old black girl and we have two Hispanic children living with us as well.

I’m grateful for the support of my fellow police officers and many of them are African-American, Asian-American and Hispanic-American and, I might add, my good friends.

Hopefully, this can become a time for healing and understanding and with God’s help we can come together and build a community based on love and not hatred, respecting each other’s rights and differences. Thank you.