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Subscribe to RSSVideo of UC Davis campus police firing an orange stream of pepper spray at apparently peaceful protesters during an Occupy rally sparked nationwide outrage.
A UC Davis task force report released Wednesday strongly condemned a campus officer’s use of pepper spray during an Occupy protest at the university in November, saying that it “should and could have been prevented.”
The incident took place on Nov. 18, at the height of the Occupy movement that had spread to cities and campuses across the country. On that day, UC Davis campus police were ordered to take apart an encampment set up by protesters at the university.
Police officers told investigators that they felt trapped by protesters and used pepper spray to break out. In an now-iconic image from the Occupy movement, campus Police Lt. John Pike walked slowly past a line of crouched students, spraying them with a stream of neon-orange pepper spray.
Photographs and video of the incident went viral and triggered widespread condemnation of the campus police.
Video spreads of UC Davis cops pepper spraying Occupy students
The UC Davis report, which accompanies a 150-page assessment by Kroll, a risk management group based in San Diego, found that the officers’ claims that they were trapped was mostly unfounded.
“On balance, there is little basis supporting Lt. Pike’s belief that he was trapped by the protesters or that his officers were prevented from leaving the Quad,” the report said. “Further, there is little evidence that any protesters attempted to use violence against the police.”
The Kroll report added that UC Davis police are not authorized to use such powerful pepper spray, the MK-9.
“The MK-9 is a higher pressure type of pepper spray than what officers normally carry on their utility belts (MK-4),” the report said.
Nor was Pike trained in using that type of pepper spray, the report continued. It appeared he sprayed the protesters at closer range than six feet, as advised. (Pike refused to be interviewed for the report and remains on leave, as does the chief of UC Davis campus police.)
The task force, headed by retired state Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso, was commissioned by University of California President Mark G. Yudof. Chancellor Linda Katehi, who heads UC Davis, had asked the president to put together the task force after she came under fire for the pepper spray incident.
The report criticizes Katehi, however, for being vague in her instructions to campus police before they went to take down the encampment.
“The only message communicated to the police was the ambiguous suggestion that the Chancellor and the Provost did not want the police operation ‘to be like Berkeley,’” the report said. At the UC Berkeley campus, police had beaten Occupy protesters with batons.
Video: Occupy movement takes violent turn at Berkeley
The Kroll and Reynoso reports were not released until Wednesday because the police union said that some parts would violate privacy rules, the Los Angeles Times reported. The newspaper reported that Pike has received death threats and that pranksters have orders pizzas to be delivered to his home.
In conclusion, the task force recommended that the University of California evaluate its police forces “to ensure that they reflect the distinct needs of a university community.”
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'trouble' is in patches; those 'patches' seem a never-ending and long and diverse CHAIN! "Police" been "Off mission" for a VERY-"Long-&-wreckless-time" (municiple level police). WE NEED "Police" to be maintenance workers. As far as these PROTESTS, I, too, have a "problem" with Bank of America, ETC. but,, if I -could- replace Obama -my-OWN-self, (that way you all would have a true blood and a "listening" type in-the-inside!) ( : OUR GOVT. -Being- -STUPID- for the PEOPLE for -going on a longer -while- NOW! pure_boxing11044@live.com John Wilkinson (the Facebook a Co-Production). PS: comes down, Folks, to "specific for-instances".
It's amazing how so called left wing "peaceful protesters" suddenly have the right to block traffic and pedestrian access, prevent paying students from attending class, violate all types of noise ordnances now if a right wing group shows up they would be attacked by the same students. These students got exactly what they deserved - an experience that made them heroes. Do you know how often that kind of opportunity comes along? They should be grateful to the police who had no intention of making them heroes but just wanted to show their support for the students cause. They even used the orange colored spray so the cameras could catch it. A great show of police-student cooperative effort.
So what does "wrong" get him???! What is the legal status of "Wrong" ?
That picture of those protesters "getting almost HOSED down with pepper spray" made me laugh hysterically!
Many of these spoiled little fools are the same one who would be first in line to criticize the "Boy Scouts" or anyone else who is PROUD to be an American. I can guarantee that NO Boy Scout would ever show up to protest anything "without being PREPARED :-)" Like maybe wearing some type of gas mask... duh?
It never ceases to amaze me at "how unbelievably ignorant some of these child-protesters really are?"
These idiots, often supposedly "students"... obviously NEVER do the homework before showing up to protest something. The reason "they have time to protest" is that "maybe they never learned how to do their homework, never graduated from college, never got a decent job, never paid their student loans, never moved out of "mommie's house" and have lots of free time to protest? And these "children" expect the world to take them seriously?
Seriously... is there "any person on Earth" that does not KNOW "Police often use Pepper Spray".
Running around... WHINING and saying "Boo Hoo" and that "The PO-lice SHOULD NOT do that obviously does not help after you've been doused with Pepper spray.
So, "to all those little, immature, spoiled kiddies" out there... next time "try to do your homework" like "wear a gas mask" and maybe you won't have to go running home to "mommie" with tears in your eyes, whining "that bad policeman made my eyes hurt!"
Welcome to the real world.
I was raised old school and to respect authority and that meant the police... However what these Davis police did was just out right wrong... They should be fired and if possible charges brought against them...
We, in America, ive in a free society not a police state...
The ucd admin have learned their lesson from the PR nightmare of the pepperspray fallout- now they've changed tactics and are using DA letters and retroactive arrests instead. www.davisdozen.org
My unbiased and fair assessment...
An unarmed boy shot by an armed man who was told not to follow the boy. Had Zimmerman listened to police dispatchers, Travon would be alive and Zimmerman would not be in jail or under scrutiny.
My statement above neither says Zimmerman is guilty or innocent, nor does it say Trayvon did not attack Zimmerman. The courts and a jury can decide that during trial after seeing all of the evidence. What my statement does tell us is something we all know to be true, which is, if George Zimmer had ceased following Trayvon and left thvicinityty no shooting would havoccurreded. Neither would have the claimeassaultlt on Zimmerman by Trayvon. There is no way the two could have interacted if they were not in each others presence and local police could have investigated the initial call to 911.
George Zimmerman made his choice by remaining in close proximity to Trayvon and I do not feel badly for Zimmerman, nor should anyone else. I do feel badly for Trayvon, his extended family, and everyone who has to witness the hatred that still exist in our nation. I also feel badly fZimmerman'sans extended family to see a loved one caught up in these circumstances
We also know in todays society we have groups like the "New Black Panthers", "KKKNazistzis", and other racial hate groups, hence seeing comments from othcondemningming everyone but the sole man (Zimmerman) who placed himself in this predicament is no surprise to me and most rational citizens of this nation.
O.o wrong article
The nonchalance that the cop sprayed the sitting protesters always reminds me of Tom Lehrer's song "Poisoning pigeons in the park"
I assume Pike is still On there Force and still proud of his act of spraying chemical in the faces of demonstrators siting down and trying to cover up as He walks around like an Adolph Eichmann in his jack boots spraying them , It is a fine example of the police state we live in some days whenever the police are aloud to do whatever they like and defend themselves with there own laws they write to justify there Sick actions , Demonstrations in this country do not have a chance anymore As so many people will not support them Im 70 years old and well remember Vietnam demonstrations of Millions uniting to stop a War gone mad , Today all you see is support the wars and support the Killing and support the rich politicians on a bumper sticker...Amerika is not what it once was , The USA might well be the Un-United States of Amerika ...There is no Camaraderie anymore in its people ...Frank Blackstone
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/19/1084671/-The-Buck-Stops-UCD-Police-Chief-Resigns-Over-Illegal-and-Insane-Pepper-Spray-Actions