LA riots beating victim Rodney King found dead

Rodney King, whose beating by police in 1992 sparked the LA race riots, has been found dead in his swimming pool. He was 47.

Rialto Police Captain Randy Deanda said King was found "unresponsive" at the bottom of his pool after a call from his fiancee and was pronounced dead at a local medical centre shortly afterward at 6.11am (11.11pm AEST) on Sunday.

"Preliminarily, there do not appear to be any signs of foul play," Deanda added, noting that police were conducting a drowning investigation and that the coroner's office would perform an autopsy.

King became a symbol of racial tensions in America following his beating by baton-wielding LA police after a high-speed car chase was caught on camera.

He was severely beaten by four white police officers who struck him more than 50 times with their wooden batons and used a stun gun.

Four officers involved went on trial for use of excessive force but were acquitted on April 29, 1992, triggering days of deadly rioting in Los Angeles that left more than 50 people dead and caused about $US1 billion ($1 billion) in damage.

Speaking ahead of the 20th anniversary of the riots, King said racism still has to be challenged.

"There's always gonna be some type of racism. But it's up to us as individuals in this country to look back and see all the accomplishments that we have gotten to this far," he told.

Asked about his feelings toward the police officers who beat him, he said: "I have forgiven (them), because America has forgiven me for so many things and given me so many chances.

"You get to have a second chance, and I've been given a second chance," said King, who has had a number of brushes with the law since 1992.

"I have much respect for (the police), much respect ... some of them went out of their way over the years to try to make it up to me. Not all of them is bad."