Decades later: A look back at the infamous O.J. Simpson police chase
It was one of the most watched and most notorious live events in United States TV history: O.J. Simpson’s low-speed police pursuit.
On June 17, 1994, just two days after the brutal murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson would lead police on a 90-minute-long pursuit which ultimately ended in his arrest at his home in the affluent neighborhood of Brentwood, California.
It’s been several decades since the infamous chase took place, so here’s a refresher on what happened.
FILE - Motorists stop and wave as police cars pursue the Ford Bronco (white, R) driven by Al Cowlings, carrying fugitive murder suspect O.J. Simpson, on a 90-minute slow-speed car chase June 17, 1994, on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles, California. (Jean-Marc Giboux/Liaison)
How did the chase start?
After failing to turn himself into the Los Angeles Police Department at 11 a.m. on that fateful Friday, law enforcement spoke with O.J.’s lawyer, Robert Shapiro, who ended up telling police the address to the home where O.J. had been laying low.
FILE - Defense attorney Robert Shapiro (L) sits next to O.J. Simpson during a preliminary hearing following the murders of Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman July 7, 1994, in Los Angeles. (Lee Celano/WireImage)
When officers arrived at the house, O.J. had fled with his former college and NFL teammate, Al Cowlings.
The LAPD officially declared O.J. a fugitive during a news conference after he fled.
A few hours later, O.J. called 911 from a cell phone from inside the (in)famous white Ford Bronco, which allowed police to track his location to the 5 Freeway in Orange County where Nicole had been buried the day before.
By 6 p.m. P.T., the chase was officially on.
How many people watched?
Approximately 95 million people nationwide tuned in to watch the infamous low-speed chase across Southern California.
FILE - Police cars pursue the Ford Bronco driven by Al Cowlings, carrying fugitive murder suspect O.J. Simpson, on a 90-minute slow-speed car chase June 17, 1994, on the 405 freeway in Los Angeles, California. ( Vinnie Zuffante/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
So many people were glued to their television screens watching the chase play out in real-time that Domino's Pizza had its busiest day ever (though it has since been surpassed) because so many viewers were unwilling to walk away from the live stream to make dinner.
Why was O.J. wanted?
FILE - Fred Goldman (C), father of Ronald Goldman, his daughter Kim (L) and wife Patty listen to testimony during a preliminary hearing following the murders of Ronald and O.J. Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson July 7, 1994, in Los Angeles. ( Lee Celano/WireImage)
O.J. was wanted for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole, and Goldman.
Nicole and Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her Brentwood home on the morning of June 12, 1994.
A passerby found Nicole’s body near a gate to her West Los Angeles condominium and police found Goldman’s body in shrubbery nearby.
How did the chase end?
The tense chase ended at O.J.’s home and, after a lengthy standoff, the former NFL star finally surrendered to police, but not before asking to talk to his mom on the phone and having a glass of juice.
O.J. was taken to the Los Angeles County Jail and placed on suicide watch.
‘Trial of the century’
Simpson made his first court appearance in the double murder trial when he was arraigned on June 28, 1994.
Simpson vehemently stood by his innocence and said that he was "absolutely 100% not guilty" for the murders of his ex-wife and Goldman.
He was represented by what was dubbed the "Dream Team Lawyers," composed of Shapiro, Johnnie Cochran, Robert Kardashian, Barry Scheck, F. Lee Bailey, Carl Douglas, Peter Neyfeld and Gerald F. Uelman.
After a nine-month murder trial, O.J. was acquitted on Oct. 3, 1995.
The Associated Press, FOX LA and KTVU FOX contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.