ABSTRACT

During the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles, Reginald Denny, a white truck driver, was forced from his truck and beaten by a mob. During this time, media helicopters hovered over the scene of the crime, reporting the incident blow-by-blow. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was ordered to withdraw for its safety and, thus, could not come to the rescue of Denny. He was saved by an unarmed black man, Bobby Green, who watched the incident on TV, rushed to the scene, rescued Denny, and took him to the hospital.