Latasha Harlins
Encyclopedia
Latasha Harlins was a 15 year-old African-American girl who was shot and killed on March 16, 1991 by Soon Ja Du, a 51 year-old Korean store owner. Harlins was a student at Westchester High School
in Los Angeles, California
. Because Harlins' death came just thirteen days after the videotaped beating of Rodney King
and Du was imposed with a probation, a fine and community service
for her action, some sources cited the shooting as one of the causes of the 1992 Los Angeles riots
.
Du saw Harlins putting a bottle of orange juice in her backpack. Du erroneously concluded that Harlins was attempting to steal, evidently not seeing the money Harlins was holding. Du attempted to grab Harlins by the sweater and snatched her backpack. Harlins then struck Du with her fist three times, knocking Du to the ground. After Harlins backed away Du then threw a stool at her. Harlins then picked up the orange juice that dropped during the scuffle, threw it on the counter and turned to leave. Du reached under the counter to retrieve a handgun. Du then fired at Harlins from behind at a distance of about three feet and shot her in the back of her head, killing her instantly. Du's husband, Billy Heung Ki Du, heard the shot and rushed into the store. After speaking to his wife, who asked for whereabouts of Harlins before fainting, he dialed 9-1-1
to report an alleged holdup. Harlins died with two dollars in her left hand.
Du testified on her own behalf, stating that it was self-defense
and that her life was in danger, but her words were contradicted by the statements of the two witnesses present at the time and the security camera footage, which showed her shooting Harlins in the back of the head as Harlins was attempting to leave the store. However, the Los Angeles police department ballistics expert report also found that the handgun Du used was altered in such a way that, compared to an ordinary handgun, much less pressure on the trigger was necessary to result in firing.
On November 15 1991 the jury found Du guilty of voluntary manslaughter
with a 16-year prison
sentence recommendation, believing that Du's shooting was fully within her control and she fired the gun voluntarily. The presiding judge, Joyce Karlin
reduced the sentence to probation
of five years, four hundred hours of community service, and a $500.00 fine.
s in South Central Los Angeles. Those tensions were later interpreted as being one of the catalysts of the 1992 Los Angeles riots
as numerous Korean owned businesses were attacked.
recorded the controversial song "Black Korea" as a result of the Harlins shooting on his 1991 album Death Certificate
.
also took particular note of the Harlins' death and in 1993, released a song entitled "Keep Ya Head Up
" which was dedicated to Latasha Harlins. Thereafter, Shakur made frequent mention of Harlins in his songs, including tracks like "Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude)" ("Latasha Harlins, remember that name... 'Cause a bottle of juice is not something to die for"), "Thugz Mansion
" ("Little Latasha, sho' grown/Tell the lady in the liquor store that she’s forgiven/ So come home"), "I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto
" ("Tell me what's a black life worth / A bottle of juice is no excuse, the truth hurts / And even when you take the shit / Move counties get a lawyer, you can shake the shit / Ask Rodney
, Latasha, and many more"), "White Mans World
" ("Rest In Peace To Latasha, Little Yummy, and Kato...") and "Hellrazor
" ("Dear Lord if ya hear me, tell me why / Little girl like Latasha, had to die")..
Westchester High School (Los Angeles)
Westchester High School is a public high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Local District 3.It is located in Westchester , USA, a suburban neighborhood adjacent to Los Angeles International Airport and bordered by Playa Vista to the north, Inglewood to the east, El Segundo to the...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Because Harlins' death came just thirteen days after the videotaped beating of Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
and Du was imposed with a probation, a fine and community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
for her action, some sources cited the shooting as one of the causes of the 1992 Los Angeles riots
1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
.
Summary
The following paragraphs summarize the transcript of court case, People v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County. The South Los Angeles store, Empire Liquor was normally staffed by Du's husband and son. However, on the morning of the shooting, Du was working behind the counter, and her husband was outside resting in the family's van.Du saw Harlins putting a bottle of orange juice in her backpack. Du erroneously concluded that Harlins was attempting to steal, evidently not seeing the money Harlins was holding. Du attempted to grab Harlins by the sweater and snatched her backpack. Harlins then struck Du with her fist three times, knocking Du to the ground. After Harlins backed away Du then threw a stool at her. Harlins then picked up the orange juice that dropped during the scuffle, threw it on the counter and turned to leave. Du reached under the counter to retrieve a handgun. Du then fired at Harlins from behind at a distance of about three feet and shot her in the back of her head, killing her instantly. Du's husband, Billy Heung Ki Du, heard the shot and rushed into the store. After speaking to his wife, who asked for whereabouts of Harlins before fainting, he dialed 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
to report an alleged holdup. Harlins died with two dollars in her left hand.
Du testified on her own behalf, stating that it was self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
and that her life was in danger, but her words were contradicted by the statements of the two witnesses present at the time and the security camera footage, which showed her shooting Harlins in the back of the head as Harlins was attempting to leave the store. However, the Los Angeles police department ballistics expert report also found that the handgun Du used was altered in such a way that, compared to an ordinary handgun, much less pressure on the trigger was necessary to result in firing.
On November 15 1991 the jury found Du guilty of voluntary manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
with a 16-year prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
sentence recommendation, believing that Du's shooting was fully within her control and she fired the gun voluntarily. The presiding judge, Joyce Karlin
Joyce Karlin
Joyce A. Karlin, now Joyce Karlin Fahey, was a federal prosecutor, Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, and then a two-term mayor of Manhattan Beach, California. She now works as a private arbitrator and mediator....
reduced the sentence to probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
of five years, four hundred hours of community service, and a $500.00 fine.
Impact
The incident and reduced sentencing by the court exacerbated already existing tensions between African-American residents and Asian-American merchantMerchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
s in South Central Los Angeles. Those tensions were later interpreted as being one of the catalysts of the 1992 Los Angeles riots
1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
as numerous Korean owned businesses were attacked.
Ice Cube
Popular rapper Ice CubeIce Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
recorded the controversial song "Black Korea" as a result of the Harlins shooting on his 1991 album Death Certificate
Death Certificate (album)
Death Certificate is the second studio album by American rapper Ice Cube, released October 29, 1991 on Priority Records. Highly anticipated with over one million advanced orders, the album was certified platinum in sales on December 20, 1991...
.
2Pac
Popular rapper Tupac ShakurTupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
also took particular note of the Harlins' death and in 1993, released a song entitled "Keep Ya Head Up
Keep Ya Head Up
"Keep Ya Head Up" is a late 1993 hit by Tupac Shakur. #11 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs, with "Dear Mama" voted #4.It was first released in Shakur's 1993 album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., later appearing after his death in 1996 in his Greatest Hits compilation...
" which was dedicated to Latasha Harlins. Thereafter, Shakur made frequent mention of Harlins in his songs, including tracks like "Something 2 Die 4 (Interlude)" ("Latasha Harlins, remember that name... 'Cause a bottle of juice is not something to die for"), "Thugz Mansion
Thugz Mansion
"Thugz Mansion" is a song by 2Pac, released as a posthumous single with two known popular versions both released on the 2002 album Better Dayz....
" ("Little Latasha, sho' grown/Tell the lady in the liquor store that she’s forgiven/ So come home"), "I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto
I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto
"I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" is the first posthumous single by 2Pac. It appears on his album R U Still Down? . It was also released as the B-side on the "Keep Ya Head Up" single....
" ("Tell me what's a black life worth / A bottle of juice is no excuse, the truth hurts / And even when you take the shit / Move counties get a lawyer, you can shake the shit / Ask Rodney
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
, Latasha, and many more"), "White Mans World
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory is the fifth and final studio album by Tupac Shakur, under the new stage name Makaveli, finished before his death and his first studio album to be posthumously released...
" ("Rest In Peace To Latasha, Little Yummy, and Kato...") and "Hellrazor
R U Still Down? (Remember Me)
R U Still Down? is the second posthumous album by 2Pac, released in 1997. Although it is the second album release after his death, it is the first to be finished without the creative input of 2Pac...
" ("Dear Lord if ya hear me, tell me why / Little girl like Latasha, had to die")..