Koon charged with DUI in Castaic crash
Former Los Angeles Police Department officer was involved in a two-vehicle collision on May 4
Stacey Koon, one of the officers involved in the 1991 Rodney King beating incident, has been formally charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with a Castaic traffic collision in May.
“Charges were filed on June 28,” Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, said Thursday.
Koon is charged with one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage and driving with a .08 percent blood-alcohol content, he said.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on Aug. 14.
Koon, 67, a former Los Angeles Police Department officer who now lives in Castaic, was arrested about 3:30 p.m. on May 4.
He was not injured.
“Stacey Koon was involved in a two-vehicle collision — vehicle versus parked vehicle — on Heather Lane at Greenwood Place,” California Highway Patrol Officer K. Holeman wrote in a report of the incident issued at the time.
“Officer Koon was the only individual involved in the collision and sustained no visible, nor claimed any injuries, as a result of the collision,” Holeman wrote in the report.
Koon is accused of running into a silver 2004 Ford.
“During the investigation, the investigating officer determined Mr. Koon was and had been under the influence of alcohol at the time of his involvement in the collision.
“He was subsequently arrested for a violation of 23152(a) VC – DUI Alcohol, per 40300.5 of the California Vehicle Code.”
It was also noted in the CHP report that Koon “remained polite and cooperative throughout the incident.”
Koon gained notoriety in 1991 following news coverage of a high-speed chase involving Rodney King. Koon was one of four officers tried in court on allegations of excessive force. Their acquittals sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
In 1993, however, Koon was convicted in federal court of having violated King’s civil rights and sentenced to 30 months in prison.
He was released from prison in October 1995.