Thursday, August 23, 2012

Rodney King Autopsy: PCP, Cocaine, Marijuana And Alcohol Contributed To Drowning

Rodney King was under the influence of cocaine, PCP, marijuana and alcohol at the time of death, according to the death report released Thursday, TMZ reports.


The cause of death is listed as accidental drowning -- but the drugs were contributing factors.

He was in a state of "drug- and alcohol-induced delirium at the time" and "either fell or jumped into the swimming pool," according to the San Bernardino County coroner's report, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The drugs, combined with a heart condition, led to a cardiac arrhythmia, according to the report. King's blood-alcohol level was 0.06.

"There is nothing in the history or autopsy examination to suggest suicide or homicide," the report states, the San Bernardino County Sun reports.

The PCP found in King's blood is noteworthy because the Los Angeles police officers involved in the 1991 beating said they believed he was on PCP, which can make its users insensitive to pain. However, tests at the time showed no trace of the drug.

King, 47, died in June after he was found by his fiancee at the bottom of the backyard pool at his Rialto home.

He had struggled with addiction for years after the beating, even appearing on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew." On the 20th anniversary of the beating in March of this year, King told reporters that he was happy.

King became famous in 1991, when a witness videotaped an altercation between King and Los Angeles police. The video (watch below) shows officers brutally beating King and was subsequently broadcast on news outlets around the world.

After officers involved in the beating were acquitted, the 1992 Los Angeles riots began. The police lost control of the city, and there were 53 deaths, 3,600 fires, 10,000 destroyed businesses and an estimated $1-billion-plus worth of damage.

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