Rodney King Released on Bail after Misdemeanor DUI Arrest in Moreno Valley

Rodney G. King, whose videotaped beating by police in 1991 and their acquittals sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots, was released on $2,500 bail early Wednesday after his arrest on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence Tuesday in Moreno Valley.

King, 46, was in a 1994 Mitsubishi when he was stopped by Moreno Valley police about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on Frederick Street, north of Brabham Drive, according to Sgt. David Knudsen of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

King commited several unspecified traffic violations before he was stopped, according to Knudsen.

"The driver was identified as Rodney Glenn King of Rialto, California," Knudsen said in a statement.

A preliminary evaluation indicated the driver was possibly driving while impaired, Knudsen said.

King was taken to the Moreno Valley Police Department for a further evaluation, then booked at Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside just after 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Traffic bureau investigators in Moreno Valley were completing a report about King's arrest and what led up to it, sheriff's spokeswoman Cpl. Courtney Donowho said in a phone interview.

The alleged traffic violations, how King's level of alleged impairment was measured, and what his level of alleged impairment was prior to being booked were all considered "evidentiary" information that investigators were unwilling to disclose, Donowho said Wednesday morning.

"A lot of people at the scene recognized Rodney King," Donowho said. "Some were videotaping and taking photos."

King was released "around midnight" on $2,500 bail, an employee at Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside said Wednesday morning in a phone interview.

King has been arrested before on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He has also appeared on reality-based programs including "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House."

The city of Moreno Valley contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department for police services. Moreno Valley police are employees of the sheriff's department.

Anyone with information related to the incident was urged to contact the Moreno Valley Police Department’s traffic bureau at (951) 486-6700.