On June 17, 1994, every TV network was suddenly fixated on the police pursuit of football-star-turned-murder-suspect O.J. Simpson in a white Ford Bronco in Los Angeles. It was the dramatic beginning of a murder case that would grip the nation for more than six months, ending in Simpson's acquittal. FX's The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story is set to dramatize the infamous slow-speed chase on Tuesday night, but you can watch real newscasts of the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase to compare the 1994 reality to the Ryan Murphy-produced American Crime Story version, starring Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson.
In real life, Simpson was due to turn himself in at 11 a.m. on June 17, 1994, after a warrant was issued for his arrest for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Instead, Simpson and longtime friend Al "A.C." Cowlings seemingly fled in Cowlings' white Bronco and were pursued by police on several L.A. freeways for 50 miles at 35 miles per hour, according to The New York Times in 1994. The report also stated that Simpson held a gun to his head during the ride and made phone calls to family on a cell phone, which was tracked by police. Simpson finally surrendered outside of his home later that night, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Thanks to YouTube, it's possible to experience Simpson's run in the Bronco chase on every TV network, now more than 20 years later.
CNN & Larry King
The venerable King reported live on Simpson's car chase and even speaks with special guest LAPD Det. Tom Lange, who spoke with a depressed and scared Simpson over the phone during the pursuit.
KTLA
The now-CW affiliate has a super close-up view of the white Bronco as it drives down the freeway.
KCBS
This jittery chopper footage is exactly what the title promises — it's raw. But within the first few minutes, you can see the police vehicles in pursuit behind the Bronco on an empty and closed L.A. freeway. At 11:27, there's a shot of cars parked in the middle of the freeway and on a nearby overpass, where people cheered as they watching the Bronco pass.
KABC
The ABC affiliate uses a combination of shaky cam pie-in-the-sky footage and CNN's footage to keep track of Simpson. KABC also interviews California Highway Patrol officer Bruce Ferrier.
ABC News & Barbara Walters
She may be known for picking fascinating people, but Walters also covered breaking news like Simpson's Bronco chase. Listen to her do some good ol' reporting above.
KDFW
This Dallas Fox channel has its entire 11 p.m. newscast from that night available on its YouTube channel. It includes chase footage, footage of the building where Simpson was arraigned, an awkward shot of O.J.'s neighbors, and an interview with Bob Hayes, another longtime friend of Simpson. "He's not just a legend to me," Hayes said in the video above. "He's an institution."
