His death was confirmed to The Associate Press by Suzanne Wickham of Harper Collins, who published King's 2012 book 'The Riot Within .My Journey from Rebellion to Redemption.'
King was stopped for speeding in March 1991 by four officers who hit him more than 50 times, kicked him and shot him with stun guns. A bystander videotaped the beating.
The officers were acquitted a year later, sparking a riot that would leave 55 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.
King became famous for his plea, "Can we all get along?" in a news conference during the height of the riots.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)