OJ Simpson
The Slow-Speed Chase
Over a thousand reporters waited for Simpson to arrive into police
custody and then give an 11:45 AM statement to the media after booking.
When he failed to show, confusion set in and at 2 p.m. an
all-points-bulletin was issued by the police. Robert Kardashian, a
Simpson friend, then read a rambling letter by Simpson to the collected
media. In the letter Simpson said, "First everyone understand I had
nothing to do with Nicole's murder.... Don't feel sorry for me. I've
had a great life." To many this sounded like a suicide note and the
reporters then actively joined the search for Simpson.
At 6:45 p.m., a sheriff's patrol car saw Simpson's 1993 white Ford Bronco going north on Interstate 405. When the officer approached the Bronco, the driver, who was Simpson's friend, Al Cowlings, yelled that Simpson had a gun to his head. The officer then backed off and a slow speed chase began.
For some time a KCBS news helicopter had exclusive coverage of the chase, but by the end of the chase they had been joined by about a dozen others as news agencies from around the country tried to charter every available helicopter in the city.
Radio station KNX also provided live coverage of the low-speed pursuit. As the events unfolded, the station contacted former USC coach John McKay to go on the air and encourage O.J. to end the pursuit. McKay agreed and went on the air, asking Simpson to pull over and turn himself in as opposed to commiting suicide.
Numerous spectators and on-lookers packed overpasses in front of the procession; some of them had signs encouraging O.J. to flee and many more were caught up in a festival-like atmosphere. Cowlings eventually drove the Bronco back to Simpson's Brentwood home, arriving at 8 p.m at 360 North Rockingham Avenue. Simpson, however, did not emerge from the vehicle for another 45 minutes — increasing fears of a suicide or a shoot-out with police. When he did surrender, police confiscated $8,000 in cash, family pictures, a fake goatee and mustache, a passport and a loaded Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum from Simpson.
It was later estimated that close to 95 million people in the U.S. alone watched at least part of the chase live that night. Live TV coverage of police chases had been commonplace in southern California, but the ratings success of the Simpson chase made them a national sensation. Many stations have since attempted to reproduce this success by showing live coverage of more mundane events, such as the shipment of Palm Beach County's election ballots to Tallahassee after the 2000 US presidential election.
After Simpson was arrested, multiple publications carried his image. Notably, TIME magazine published an edition featuring an altered mugshot, darkening his skin and reducing the size of the prisoner ID number. This appeared on newsstands right next to an unaltered picture by Newsweek. Outcry from minority rights groups followed. The image was altered by TIME illustrator Matt Mahurin, who later stated that he "wanted to make it more artful, more compelling."
Over a thousand reporters waited for Simpson to arrive into police
custody and then give an 11:45 AM statement to the media after booking.
When he failed to show, confusion set in and at 2 p.m. an
all-points-bulletin was issued by the police. Robert Kardashian, a
Simpson friend, then read a rambling letter by Simpson to the collected
media. In the letter Simpson said, "First everyone understand I had
nothing to do with Nicole's murder.... Don't feel sorry for me. I've
had a great life." To many this sounded like a suicide note and the
reporters then actively joined the search for Simpson.
At 6:45 p.m., a sheriff's patrol car saw Simpson's 1993 white Ford Bronco going north on Interstate 405. When the officer approached the Bronco, the driver, who was Simpson's friend, Al Cowlings, yelled that Simpson had a gun to his head. The officer then backed off and a slow speed chase began.
For some time a KCBS news helicopter had exclusive coverage of the chase, but by the end of the chase they had been joined by about a dozen others as news agencies from around the country tried to charter every available helicopter in the city.
Radio station KNX also provided live coverage of the low-speed pursuit. As the events unfolded, the station contacted former USC coach John McKay to go on the air and encourage O.J. to end the pursuit. McKay agreed and went on the air, asking Simpson to pull over and turn himself in as opposed to commiting suicide.
Numerous spectators and on-lookers packed overpasses in front of the procession; some of them had signs encouraging O.J. to flee and many more were caught up in a festival-like atmosphere. Cowlings eventually drove the Bronco back to Simpson's Brentwood home, arriving at 8 p.m at 360 North Rockingham Avenue. Simpson, however, did not emerge from the vehicle for another 45 minutes — increasing fears of a suicide or a shoot-out with police. When he did surrender, police confiscated $8,000 in cash, family pictures, a fake goatee and mustache, a passport and a loaded Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum from Simpson.
It was later estimated that close to 95 million people in the U.S. alone watched at least part of the chase live that night. Live TV coverage of police chases had been commonplace in southern California, but the ratings success of the Simpson chase made them a national sensation. Many stations have since attempted to reproduce this success by showing live coverage of more mundane events, such as the shipment of Palm Beach County's election ballots to Tallahassee after the 2000 US presidential election.
After Simpson was arrested, multiple publications carried his image. Notably, TIME magazine published an edition featuring an altered mugshot, darkening his skin and reducing the size of the prisoner ID number. This appeared on newsstands right next to an unaltered picture by Newsweek. Outcry from minority rights groups followed. The image was altered by TIME illustrator Matt Mahurin, who later stated that he "wanted to make it more artful, more compelling."