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Damian Monroe
WILLIAMS
A.K.A.: "Football"
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: "L.A. Four" - Los Angeles riots
Number of victims: 1
Date of murder: July 18, 2000
Date of arrest:
Next day (surrenders)
Date of birth:
March 17,
1973
Victim profile: Grover
Tinner, 48 (drug dealer)
Method of murder:
Shooting
Location: Los Angeles County, California, USA
Status: Sentenced to 47 years to life in prison on December 5,
2003
Damian Monroe
Williams, aka
Football (b. March 17, 1973), along with Henry Watson,
Antoine Miller and Gary Williams, known as the L.A. Four, were
responsible for the attack during the 1992 Los Angeles riots on
truck driver Reginald Oliver Denny.
Williams
became the most recognized participant of L.A. riots due to the
live news broadcast of his attack on Denny and also possibly
because of his memorable nickname. Williams was a high school
football star who played briefly in a semipro league.
As Miller,
Watson and another unidentified man beat Denny, Williams then
threw a cinder block at Denny's head which knocked him
unconscious. Williams then did a victory dance as he laughed and
pointed at Denny.
He then
flashed Crips gang signs at the news helicopter taping him from
above. Damian Williams was arrested by Los Angeles police chief
Daryl Gates himself after he started a search for them.
Williams was
charged with attempted murder as well as assault and mayhem.
Williams was convicted of mayhem and misdemeanor assault and was
sentenced to 10 years.
In 1997,
Williams was released for good behaviour. But on December 5,
2003, he received a life sentence for murdering Grover Tinner, a
48-year-old drug dealer, in July 2000. He will not be eligible
for parole until he serves 47 years.
The L.A. Riots: 15 Years
After Rodney King
Damian Williams
Time.com
Damian
Williams, a former high-school
football star, was part of
one of the riots' most
enduring, excruciating
images — the vicious attack
of a white truck driver
named Reginald Denny.
The
intesection of Florence and
Normandie had already
escalated into violence,
several hours after
residents had heard about
the verdicts in the Rodney
King beating case, and now
unsuspecting drivers on
their way to downtown Los
Angeles, became the victims
of their rage.
One of
the unluckiest people on
this route was Denny, who
was oblivious to what was
transpiring in the
neighborhood.
Rioters
jumped onto the rig, pulled
Denny from the cab of his
truck and began to inflict a
horrific beating, all
recorded from above by a
news chopper. Williams
bashed Denny's head with a
cinderblock, while another
rioter, Henry Keith Watson
stood on his neck and
another spat on him; a
motorcyclist even shot at
the truck's gas tank, but
fortunately missed.
Williams
was arrested days later, but,
after his lawyers
successfully argued that he
had not intended to kill
Denny (saying the
prosecutors were
scapegoating the two),
Williams escaped the most
serious charges against him
of attempted murder, assault
and aggravated mayhem and
was convicted instead of
only four misdemeanors and
simple mayhem.
Williams
was released after serving
four years of his 10-year
sentence, but soon found
himself back in jail. He was
convicted of participating
in the 2000 murder of an L.A.
drug dealer, and in 2003 was
sentenced to 46 years in
prison. He is currently
serving his sentence at
Pelican Bay State Prison,
according to California
Corrections Department
officials.
—Jesse
Singal
Damian Monroe
Williams waves to his mother
on October 18, 1993, in
court. Williams was found
guilty of one felony count
of mayhem and several
misdemeanor counts in the
beating of Reginald Denny
during the 1992 Los Angeles
riots.
