American Notes

According to news reports, one of the Los Angeles policemen accused in the videotaped beating of Rodney King taunted him at the hospital by jeering, "We played a little hardball tonight, and you lost." When the four officers arrived last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court to plead not guilty to charges stemming from the incident, someone in the courthouse crowd yelled, "The hardball game is over."

In fact, it is just beginning. One city council member, Michael Woo, has demanded the resignation of police chief Daryl Gates. Even the cautious Mayor Tom Bradley suggested that Gates must retire "before the healing process can begin," but Bradley maintains that he is not yet calling for the chief's resignation.

Though the embattled Gates announced a tepid 10-point police-department program to prevent further episodes of brutality, including a civilian review of use-of-force policies, that is unlikely to satisfy his critics. More hardball is likely to be played before the trial of the four officers, which is scheduled for May 16. A grand jury is still considering whether to bring charges against other officers who were present at the beating but did not attempt to stop it.