Williams Gets 10 Years In Reginald Denny Attack

LOS ANGELES - A judge gave the maximum 10-year sentence today to the man convicted of viciously beating truck driver Reginald Denny and attacking other motorists at the outset of last year's riots.

Damian Williams, 20, was to receive at least two years' credit for time served since his arrest, and for good behavior since then, meaning he could serve eight years at most.

The defense had asked for probation in the April 29, 1992, attacks on Denny and others. But Superior Court Judge John Ouderkirk told Williams: "It's intolerable in this society to attack and maim people because of their race."

Williams is black; Denny is white.

Williams was convicted of felony mayhem for attacking Denny and four misdemeanor assault counts. The mayhem count carried a maximum eight-year term; each misdemeanor count, six months.

Ouderkirk said he would sentence co-defendant Henry Watson to probation until 1997 and to 320 hours of community service. Watson, 29, was convicted of misdemeanor assault and pleaded guilty to an assault count against trucker Larry Tarvin.

PLAYING THE TAPE

Before announcing the sentence, Ouderkirk had a prosecutor play a videotape of the attacks on Denny and other motorists at Florence and Normandie avenues in South Central Los Angeles during the April 1992 riots.

Williams' sentence inevitably was to invite comparisons to the 30-month terms given to two white policemen convicted on federal charges related to the beating of Rodney King. The officers had earlier been acquitted on state charges, triggering the riot that led to the attack on Denny.

For some black activists, the Denny attack, videotaped by a television news crew in a helicopter, became the ideological counterpoint to the King beating, videotaped by a bystander.

As a precautions against possible violence following today's sentencing, police opened an emergency operations center and went on stand-by alert.

Williams, Watson and a third man, Antoine Miller, had been charged with attempted premeditated murder in the attack - Miller for yanking Denny out of his rig, Watson for pinning him to the pavement and Williams for hurling a brick at his head.

After Miller's case was separated from the others, Williams and Watson were acquitted of the most serious charges. Miller struck a plea bargain that resulted in probation.

DEFENSE'S ARGUMENT

In Williams' case, the defense argued that he was caught up in the unique circumstance of a riot that prevented him from thinking out his actions.

The last defendant, Lance Jerome Parker, is charged with assault with a firearm and attempted arson for allegedly firing a shotgun at the fuel tank of Denny's truck. His trial is scheduled for January.

Three other men pleaded guilty or no contest in the beatings.