The Investigation of a Brutal Beating : Initial indictments only begin to suggest the full dimension of what happened

The first and, we trust, not the last indictments were announced Friday in the now nationally infamous police beating of motorist Rodney King. More indictments are expected, as the Los Angeles County Grand jury looks further into the disgraceful incident.

Citizens of Los Angeles and beyond continue to be deeply disturbed by the beating almost two weeks after it happened; that’s a measure of the tremendous revulsion generated by the videotaped pounding.

The five indictments rightly go beyond what Chief Daryl F. Gates had recommended. Even so, descriptions of the charges do not do justice to that unforgettable image of gang-like assault now burned into the national consciousness; they tell only part of the story. Still, it is some story they tell.

Charge 1: Alleges that Officers Laurence Powell, Timothy Wind, Theodore Briseno and Sgt. Stacey Koon assaulted King by force likely to produce great bodily injury and with a deadly weapon. Charge 2: Alleges that officers Powell, Wind, Briseno and Koon “did willfully, unlawfully, under color of authority and without lawful necessity assault and beat” King. Charge 3: Alleges that Powell “knowingly and intentionally made statements in the (police) report which he knew to be false. Charge 4: Alleges that Koon intentionally made statements he knew to be false. Charge 5: Alleges that Koon knew a felony had been committed and “did harbor, conceal and aid” Powell “with the intent that he might avoid and escape from arrest, trial, conviction and punishment.”

The investigation is ongoing and the evidence-gathering is proceeding. The other 11 officers present at the beating of King also should come under scrutiny for possible prosecution. At the federal level, Justice Department civil rights lawyers are considering ways to bring federal charges against some of the officers who stood by and watched; on some level, such inaction could be deemed to be as reprehensible as doing the evil deed.

The FBI and Justice Department already are aggressively investigating the beating to determine if any of the officers should be prosecuted on a charge of violating King’s civil rights. Federal policy typically postpones action until state proceedings have been completed, but because of the outcry, parallel investigations are proceeding, as well they should.

Prosecutions are typically and often necessarily lengthy procedures. The defendants deserve their day in court. But justice must be done. Court action is one way.