the rioting spread throughout the los angeles metropolitan area, as thousands of people rioted over a six-day period following the announcement of the verdict. widespread looting, assault, arson, and murder occurred during the riots, in which local police could not put down due to lack of personnel and resources against the sheer number of rioters. responding for local assistance, california governor pete wilson and president george h. w. bush garrisoned more than ten thousand california army national guardsmen and united states military troops respectively in the streets of los angeles county to keep the peace in the area.