Wednesday, June 20, 2012

911 call details moments after King found in pool

Rialto police detective Carla McCullough, right, and a photographer conduct an investigation at Rodney King's home in Rialto, Calif., Sunday, June 17, 2012. King, the black motorist whose 1991 videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers was the touchstone for one of the most destructive race riots in U.S. history, died Sunday. He was 47. King's fiancee called police to report that she found him at the bottom of the swimming pool at their home in Rialto, Calif., police Lt. Dean Hardin said. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Rialto police detective Carla McCullough, right, and a photographer conduct an investigation at Rodney King's home in Rialto, Calif., Sunday, June 17, 2012. King, the black motorist whose 1991 videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers was the touchstone for one of the most destructive race riots in U.S. history, died Sunday. He was 47. King's fiancee called police to report that she found him at the bottom of the swimming pool at their home in Rialto, Calif., police Lt. Dean Hardin said. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A pair of sandals lie next to a hose near the swimming pool at Rodney King's home in Rialto, Calif., Sunday, June 17, 2012. King, the black motorist whose 1991 videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers was the touchstone for one of the most destructive race riots in U.S. history, died Sunday. He was 47. King's fiancee called police to report that she found him at the bottom of the swimming pool at their home in Rialto, Calif., police Lt. Dean Hardin said. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

FILE - This April 13, 2012 file photo shows Rodney King posing for a portrait in Los Angeles. King, the black motorist whose 1991 videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers was the touchstone for one of the most destructive race riots in the nation's history, has died, his publicist said Sunday, June 17, 2012. He was 47. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file)

FILE - This April 13, 2012 photo shows Rodney King posing for a portrait in Los Angeles. King, the black motorist whose 1991 videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers was the touchstone for one of the most destructive race riots in the nation's history, has died, his publicist said Sunday, June 17, 2012. He was 47. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file)

The swimming pool at Rodney King's home is seen in Rialto, Calif., Sunday, June 17, 2012. King, the black motorist whose 1991 videotaped beating by Los Angeles police officers was the touchstone for one of the most destructive race riots in U.S. history, died Sunday. He was 47. King's fiancee called police to report that she found him at the bottom of the swimming pool at their home in Rialto, Calif,, police Lt. Dean Hardin said. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Rodney King's fiancee said in a frantic 911 call that she threw a shovel to try to rouse him after she woke to the sounds of a fall and found him at the bottom of his swimming pool.

Cynthia Kelley repeatedly implored authorities to hurry to King's Rialto, Calif., home early Sunday. In audio authorities released Tuesday, Kelley tells a dispatcher that she tried to rouse King but he wasn't responding.

"He's not moving," Kelley said, crying throughout the call. "I was sleeping, all of a sudden I heard something fall like the table and then I looked over and then I went to find him and he's at the bottom of the swimming pool. He's still there. Please hurry up."

The 5-minute, 15-second phone call ends with the arrival of police officers who pulled King from the pool and began life-saving efforts. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police have said they have found no signs of foul play and continue to investigate King's case as an accidental drowning.

Authorities are awaiting toxicology results and said they'll use them in conjunction with an autopsy performed Monday to determine how King died.

The dispatcher asked Kelley if she was able to get into the pool to get King out, but she said she couldn't. She said she tried to "wake him up," including throwing a shovel into the water, but he wasn't responding.

At one point, Kelley told dispatchers that the man in the pool was King, "the guy that got beat by the police."

Kelley, who was interviewed by police for several hours Sunday, is heard on the audio saying she needs to call King's family.

King became famous after his severe beating by Los Angeles police in 1991 was captured on videotape and broadcast worldwide.

The trial of four officers charged with felony assault in the beating ended after a jury with no black members acquitted three of the officers on state charges; a mistrial was declared for a fourth.

The verdict sparked one of the most costly and deadly race riots in the nation's history.

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP .

Associated Press

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