LOS ANGELES (AZFamily) — Thirty years ago Monday, the infamous slow-speed chase of O. J. Simpson’s white Bronco captivated the nation and kept people glued to their television screens.
It was a true crime moment that dominated the news cycle throughout the trial.
But this date in history holds much more meaning than that: it is one of the few times a criminal case like this has cast a dark shadow over the entire world of sports and changed history forever.
“The KCBS helicopter with the famous pilot on board basically got the exclusive for about 30 minutes while the whole world was screaming, ‘Where’s O.J.?’ And all of a sudden, O.J. was in the back seat of a white Bronco,” former Arizona’s Family reporter Mike Watkiss said.
Prior to his assignment in Phoenix, Watkiss reported from Los Angeles and was there the day Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were found murdered in their Brentwood home.
“The crime tape had been put up and Ron and Nicole’s bodies had just been discovered. My crew and I got there pretty early, but this time there was something different about the bodies, something bigger, something crazier,” Watkiss said.
A few days later, a warrant was issued for O.J.’s arrest on murder charges, setting off a historic highway chase.
In truth, June 17, 1994, was a crazy day in itself.
On the same day, the Rangers celebrated with a Stanley Cup parade in New York, the United States hosted its first-ever World Cup game, Seattle Mariners slugger Ken Griffey Jr. tied Babe Ruth’s record with 30 home runs by June 30, golf legend Arnold Palmer teeing off in his final U.S. Open and Game 5 of the NBA Finals took place between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.
Photos show media covering the game gathered around a small television set, watching Simpson’s pursuit.
“These two guys in a white Bronco and this helicopter flying overhead made all of that completely forgotten and the world came to life,” Watkiss said.
Watkiss said it was a moment that changed our appetite for a 24/7 news cycle — a rare moment when only one thing seemed to matter, bringing everyone together.
“The country, and much of the world, was watching a single event unfold in real time on a Los Angeles freeway,” Watkiss said. “There are very few moments when we’re all watching the same thing at the same time.”
Simpson was taken into custody later that night, but was acquitted of the murders of Brown Simpson and Goldman in 1995.
Watkiss spent time with both the Goldman and Brown families in the months and years following the murders, but said having to deal with the enormous media attention the case received made it even more difficult.
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