Victim in 1991 LAPD Police Brutality Case, Has Died Rodney King, the man who was at the center of the Los Angeles police brutality case that later sparked the Los Angeles riots has died, according to ABC News Los Angeles station KABC. He was 47. Suzanne Wickman, a representative for King confirmed to KABC that Rodney King passed away Sunday. He was home and found by his fiancee. His cause of the death has not been released, according to KABC. Sources told TMZ that King was found dead at the bottom of a pool. King was beaten by the Los Angeles Police Department following a 1991 DUI traffic stop. The violent beating, during which four cops hit and kicked King more than 50 times, was filmed by a man who saw the incident from his home. The tape was given to a Los Angeles TV station, and quickly became a national phenomenon. The case came to trial in 1992, but the white policemen involved in King's beating were acquitted, igniting deadly riots in Los Angeles. PHOTOS: Los Angeles Riots: 20 Years Later King made this famous plea for peace following the acquittal: "I just want to say -- can we all get along? Can we get along? The riots left more than 50 people dead and caused about $1 billion in damage. King received a $3.8 million settlement from the city, but that did not set his life on a smooth path. He has said he invested the money badly and lost most of it, and has been arrested numerous times. He has struggled with substance anuse, and even made an appearance on TV reality show "Celebrity Rehab." Earlier this year, reflecting on the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots that made him famous, King said he was still trying to find a way to lead a good life. I've learned from all of my mistakes. I am a work in process. I'm constantly working on myself, knowing what my limits are and feeling comfortable with me," King said.