It was a hug felt far beyond a circle of people thrown together by violence.
Reginald Denny, his face still dented from the riot beating he barely survived, walked across a courtroom and embraced the mothers of two men charged with trying to kill him.In battle-scarred Los Angeles, many were awed by his message that love heals even the deepest wounds. And it came during a trial pessimists said could aggravate citywide racial tensions.
"It is pretty unusual to have this kind of interaction between a victim and the families of defendants," said Laurie Levenson, a professor at Loyola University Law School and a former prosecutor. "But Mr. Denny has shown himself to be a pretty remarkable guy."
Denny's lawyer, Johnnie Cochran, said it was a spontaneous gesture, and marveled at his client's ability to forgive: "I guess he's a lot kinder than you and I."
Cochran was in court on Wednesday when Denny extended his hand to Georgiana Williams, mother of Damian Williams, during a break in his testimony.
"May I shake your hand?" Denny asked. As Georgiana Williams reached out, he hugged her.
"I love you," she said.
He then moved on to where Joyce Watson, mother of Henry Watson, stood and threw his arms around her in a bear hug.
Watson, 28, and Williams, 20, are charged with attempted murder and other felonies in attacks on motorists at the riot flashpoint of Florence and Normandie avenues.
Denny's beating, broadcast live by helicopter-borne TV cameras, became the defining symbol of riots that broke out after state court acquittals in the videotaped police beating of Rodney King.
In the Denny case, the victim was white and the accused assailants black. In the King case, a black motorist was beaten by white policemen. Two of the officers later were convicted of federal civil rights violations.
Many feared the latest trial would reopen racial divisions. But besides Denny's overwhelming example, testimony also deepened public appreciation of the selfless, life-saving role of four black people who rushed to help Denny after the beating.
In contrast, jurors also saw gruesome photos and videotapes of his near-fatal injuries. They saw pictures of two men who prosecutors say are Watson and Williams kicking and beating the trucker.