UC Davis “Pepper Spray” Cop Awarded $38K In Worker’s Comp
Imagine the pain and suffering this poor, beleaguered defender of the peace must have experienced after being fired for inflicting pain and suffering on innocent protesters with a chemical weapon:
A former UC Davis police officer whose pepper-spraying of protesters gained worldwide notice thanks to a viral video has been awarded more than $38,000 in workers’ compensation from the university for suffering he experienced after the incident.
Former police Lt. John Pike, who gained a degree of infamy for his role in the incident, was awarded the settlement Oct. 16 by the state Division of Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. The claim “resolves all claims of psychiatric injury specific or due to continuous trauma from applicant’s employment at UC Davis.”
The incident that resulted in the $38,055 settlement happened Nov. 18, 2011, on the UC Davis quad during a demonstration opposing tuition increases. On the widely circulated video, Pike is seen dousing protesters for about 15 seconds with orange pepper spray.
Pike was suspended with pay afterward. According to a database of state worker salaries, he earned $119,067 in 2011, the last year for which figures are available.
As Americablog’s John Aravosis helpfully points out, that’s $10,000 more than the victims of his chemical attack received.
