RODNEY KING demanded $15 million in compensatory damages for the videotaped beating he received three years ago at the hands of Los Angeles policemen who had stopped him after a high-speed chase. The city of Los Angeles offered the black motorist $800,000 for his injuries. Last week, after deliberating four days, a federal jury awarded him $3.8 million for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and loss of future earnings. King, his lawyer reported, is "not disappointed" by the verdict. Jurors next will ponder how much he should get in punitive damages.
