Chorus in L.A.: `Chill' and be calm

  Sally Ann Stewart; Jonathan Lovitt

  04/14/1993

  USA Today

  FINAL

  Page 01A

  (Copyright 1993)

  LOS ANGELES - NAACP president Benjamin Chavis visited a south central

  housing complex Tuesday and continued calling for peace as jurors ended the

  fourth day of deliberations in the Rodney King case.

  The eight men and four women ended the day at 4:15 p.m. PT and resume this

  morning at 8:30.

  Jurors must decide whether four Los Angeles police officers intentionally

  violated King's civil rights when they beat him two years ago.

  Their first trial - in state court - ended in acquittals and one hung charge that

  sparked deadly rioting.

  "It's calm here and I think it's going to be calm here after the verdicts," said

  Benjamin Chavis, new head of the national NAACP.

  "I would simply plead with the young people in Los Angeles to think this

  through very carefully and restrain themselves no matter what the verdict," U.S.

  Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros said Tuesday.

  Meanwhile:

  City police remained on alert, about 600 National Guard troops continued

  training at armories, and 1,000 Marines conducted urban assault exercises at

  Camp Pendleton, 80 miles south of the city.

  The L.A. schools TV station began showing a video titled Chill - keep calm -

  featuring Arsenio Hall and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

  Touring the neighborhood, 3A

  PHOTO,color,Matt Mendelsohn, USA TODAY