(4 of 4)
Meanwhile, the man in the center of the hurricane seemed to be the coolest % customer in town. A conservative Republican who exercises regularly and shuns alcohol, Gates lives in a downtown condominium with his second wife Sima. Supporters describe him as a disciplined and sensitive professional, fiercely protective of his men. His detractors call him an opportunistic cowboy who makes provocative statements to grab attention. He has, for example, called Hispanic officers "lazy," described a blond television newscaster as an "Aryan broad" and branded his own son -- whom he disowned after the youth spent a year in jail for robbery -- "a narcotics addict." In 1982 he was officially reprimanded when he suggested blacks are more susceptible to dying than "normal people" when subdued with a choke hold. That same year, he speculated that the Soviet Union was flooding Los Angeles with "spies" posing as Jewish emigres.
The example of such leadership, say Gates' critics, ultimately trickles down to the cop on the beat and creates the conditions in which a beating like King's can take place. Sociologist Katz, who has studied the L.A.P.D., says its officers are taught "that there are two kinds of errors police can make on the street. One is not being aggressive when they should be, and the other is being aggressive when they shouldn't." The message the cops get, says Katz, is that they should err on the side of aggressiveness. And although Gates can't be held responsible for every officer's action, he does set the tone in the department. "If you look at the King videotape," says Katz, "there is a cultural sense that this ((beating)) is appropriate. It is not as though the police were personally, emotionally involved. It is really an ethos that makes this kind of behavior possible."
CHART: NOT AVAILABLE
CREDIT: From a telephone poll of 500 American adults taken for TIME/CNN on March 13 by Yankelovich Clancy Shulman. Sampling error is plus or minus 4.5%. "Not sures" omitted.
CAPTION: From what you have read or seen, do you think the Los Angeles police clubbing of a black man was racially motivated?
Should criminal charges be brought against these officers, or should this matter be left to the police for disciplinary procedures?
How often do you think incidents occur in your community where police use violence against private citizens?
Do you think L.A. police chief Daryl Gates should be held responsible for the conduct of his officers?
Do you think police chief Gates should resign over this incident?