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[Trojita]

What a douche

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/23/21105239-university-of-california-cop-who-pepper-sprayed-student-protesters-awarded-38000?lite

A former University of California policeman who stirred public outrage by pepper-spraying peaceful student protesters has been awarded $38,000 in worker's compensation for psychiatric damage he claimed to have suffered from the 2011 incident, the university said on Wednesday.

Then-campus police Lieutenant John Pike came to symbolize law enforcement aggression against anti-Wall Street protests at the time when video footage widely aired on TV and the Internet showed him casually dousing demonstrators in the face with a can of pepper spray as they sat on the ground.

Pike was suspended from his job at UC Davis and ultimately left the force in July 2012, but university officials did not disclose the circumstances of his departure.
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A scathing 190-page report on the incident found that university officials and UC Davis police used poor judgment and excessive force in the confrontation. And the incident was widely mocked in satirical messages posted on the Internet in which still photos of Pike wielding his pepper spray were inserted into famed works or art or pop culture images.

The university last fall agreed to pay $1 million to settle a lawsuit brought on behalf of the 21 students who got sprayed and later reported suffering panic attacks, trauma and academic problems as a result.

In June of this year, Pike himself filed a worker's compensation claim with UC Davis over the incident, saying he suffered unspecified psychiatric and nervous system damage, though the document did not explain how he claimed to have been harmed, records show.

On October 16, the state Division of Workers Compensation Appeals Board agreed to resolve his claim by paying him a settlement totaling $38,055, UC Davis spokesman Andy Fell said on Wednesday.

"This case has been resolved in accordance with state law and processes on workers' compensation," Fell said in a written statement. "The final resolution is in line with permanent impairment as calculated by the state's disability evaluation unit."

In June of this year, Pike himself filed a worker's compensation claim with UC Davis over the incident, saying he suffered unspecified psychiatric and nervous system damage, though the document did not explain how he claimed to have been harmed, records show.

 

[teruterubozu]

$1 million + $38,000 is nothing for the UC system. It's like buying candy in a vending machine.

 

[wsoxfan1214]

Saw this. Absolutely ridiculous. The cop is a fucking idiot. The students were sitting there peacefully and posed absolutely no risk whatsoever to him. He should have lost his fucking job instead of being suspended.

If you don't want to "suffer", don't do stupid shit to draw the ire of the crowd.

Also, I guess I'll attempt to (probably unsuccessfully) challenge GAF here to not turn this into another "hurr all cops are pigs oink oink" thread.

 

[glaurung]

Proper headline: Retard cop gets paid handsomely for his stupidity

Only in America can a burglar sue the apartment owner after he has injured himself breaking into the damn place.

Only in America is this possible.

 

[wsoxfan1214]

...will never understand why retard is considered acceptable.

 

[jimi_dini]

Pike was suspended from his job at UC Davis and ultimately left the force in July 2012

Maybe he got depressed, because he couldn't pepper-spray people anymore.

Poor guy :/

 

[blame space]

Yeah I was gonna say if I was given free reign to pepper spray lazy college kids and then suddenly had that right taken from me I'd be pretty depressed too.

 

[Zaptruder]

Someone pepper spray this guy and then take this 38k and give it to the people he pepper sprayed please. For justice.

 

[bengraven]

"This is hurting me more than it's hurting you"

 

[RoninChaos]

... come on. REALLY?!

Sometimes I really hate this fucking country.

 

[potam]

I just don't understand how some people can completely misunderstand what the role of a police force should be.

"Yeah, fuck these kids on the sidewalk. Someone grab the riot helmets."

 

[TxdoHawk]

I could certainly see how having your mug plastered all over the internet as the poster boy for abusing peaceful protest could cause you anxiety and trauma. The college was probably just the easiest target that would cough up the money for his psychiatric bill*. (suing the photographer would've obviously never worked, nor suing bloggers and artists spreading his image, if he could even find them.)

* -

Spoiler

No, I don't actually believe this guy needed a shrink, don't worry.

Also, I guess I'll attempt to (probably unsuccessfully) challenge GAF here to not turn this into another "hurr all cops are pigs oink oink" thread.

 

[CrankyJay]

Someone should send this guy a lifetime supply of hot sauce.

 

[robochimp]

The response by the campus cops was ridiculous.

This guy was following orders, and suffered because of it. It isn't an unreasonable claim.

 

[Protein]

"This is hurting me more than it's hurting you"

That caption. :lol

 

[SyNapSe]

This guys income exceeded 110k as a campus rent-a-cop? damn...

Did a Google search. wtf. Working for the government of California is apparently the land of milk and honey. /Jettakingoff.gif

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.

 

[flyinpiranha]

This is a tough call.

Basically the cops showed up to remove/arrest Occupy protesters who had illegally set up tents on campus. The cops arrested them peacefully and upon leaving students surrounded the cops, locked arms or sat down and demanded they "free them" or they couldn't leave. They were warned numerous times over and over about getting maced, or having to use force to leave and that they were impeding the act of a police officer, but didn't move. That's why you see him casually spraying them.

I don't agree with the action (to a point). In the report, it's said that a couple officers were able to move through the crowd and some of the people 'surrounding' them were actually just watching and not protesters. I think it was a huge lack of communication, he made the choice doing what he did probably unaware that others were freely moving through the 'chain' and was thinking if I spray these people, they'll move, we'll leave. I understand wanting a full clear path. You don't know just what type of crazy person is in that crowd or wanting to fuck with you. Most of the stories I've heard about officers getting hurt weren't expecting it, it was "What the fuck, where did that come from?!?" types of situations. Yes, this is a college campus, yes, it probably won't happen ... but err on the side of caution. Macing and clearing a path wide enough to keep rank and move out was probably what he wanted. Maybe not, he may have been some prick who hated students but there were no previous complaints about the officer before the incident and he's worked on the campus for a while, so that doesn't seem very likely.

Some of the officers Kroll interviewed reported their subjective belief that, during the
Nov. 18 incident, the crowd was hostile, they were surrounded, and they were at risk of
losing their prisoners. On cursory review, the testimonial, photographic, and video
evidence showing that in fact a crowd had partially encircled the police and was shouting
chants like “If you let them go, we will let you leave” may appear to support that
contention. However, a more careful review reveals several facts that conflict with that
belief and which the commanders should have known. For instance, there were breaks in
the circle around the officers. Where the circle was unbroken, the line was often still only
one- or two-people deep, some of whom were seated, and many of whom may have been
observers — crowding around to see what would happen — not protesters. Also, the more
hostile chants were cut off by the majority of the crowd almost as quickly as they had
started. Nor did they appear to reflect an actual intent by the crowd to prevent police
from leaving with their prisoners. In fact, it was during one of the “If you let them go, we
will let you leave” chants that was able to leave, escorting an arrestee to
an awaiting police car by simply walking him straight through the crowd, without
incident or force escalation. then returned and escorted another arrestee
out through the crowd, again without incident. Both of the ranking officers in charge of
the operation, Lt. Pike and were also able to move through the crowd
freely, stepping over seated protesters on at least three occasions and just minutes before
Lt. Pike sprayed those same protesters with pepper spray

http://reynosoreport.ucdavis.edu/reynoso-report.pdf

 

[Epsilon-delta]

This guys income exceeded 110k as a campus rent-a-cop? damn...

Did a Google search. wtf. Working for the government of California is apparently the land of milk and honey. /Jettakingoff.gif

If you think that's surprising, look up salaries for a sergeant, lieutenant, and captain.

 

[wsoxfan1214]

This is a tough call.

Basically the cops showed up to remove/arrest Occupy protesters who had illegally set up tents on campus. The cops arrested them peacefully and upon leaving students surrounded the cops, locked arms or sat down and demanded they "free them" or they couldn't leave. They were warned numerous times over and over about getting maced, or having to use force to leave and that they were impeding the act of a police officer, but didn't move. That's why you see him casually spraying them.

I don't agree with the action (to a point). In the report, it's said that a couple officers were able to move through the crowd and some of the people 'surrounding' them were actually just watching and not protesters. I think it was a huge lack of communication, he made the choice doing what he did probably unaware that others were freely moving through the 'chain' and was thinking if I spray these people, they'll move, we'll leave. I understand wanting a full clear path. You don't know just what type of crazy person is in that crowd or wanting to fuck with you. Most of the stories I've heard about officers getting hurt weren't expecting it, it was "What the fuck, where did that come from?!?" types of situations. Yes, this is a college campus, yes, it probably won't happen ... but err on the side of caution. Macing and clearing a path wide enough to keep rank and move out was probably what he wanted. Maybe not, he may have been some prick who hated students but there were no previous complaints about the officer before the incident and he's worked on the campus for a while, so that doesn't seem very likely.



http://reynosoreport.ucdavis.edu/reynoso-report.pdf

It certainly isn't cut and dry, but I still don't think the spraying was needed at all, for reasons mentioned above.

 

[TAJ]

This guy was following orders.

Never a valid excuse.

 

[Jarate]

for people wondering why this man has a court case, he'll probably use this famous study as the basis for his actions which caused him so much stress

you'd be surprised what people would do if pressured to do something

Never a valid excuse.

read the study and see why you're wrong

 

[out0v0rder]

they didn't move and they faced the consequences.i don't see why they needed to pay the guy though. weird.

 

[Cat Party]

Only in America can a burglar sue the apartment owner after he has injured himself breaking into the damn place.

Only in America is this possible.

Pretty sure this is a widely reported urban legend.

 

[DarkFlow]

for people wondering why this man has a court case, he'll probably use this famous study as the basis for his actions which caused him so much stress

you'd be surprised what people would do if pressured to do something



read the study and see why you're wrong

Nazi's tried that "just following orders" defense during the nuremberg trials, let's just say it did not go over well.

 

[Jarate]

Nazi's tried that "just following orders" defense during the nuremberg trials, let's just say it did not go over well.

The Nuremberg Trials took place in 1947

This study was not out by then to be used as counter evidence

also, comparing pepper spraying someone to committing genocide is silly

 

[Duane Cunningham]

This guys income exceeded 110k as a campus rent-a-cop? damn...

Did a Google search. wtf. Working for the government of California is apparently the land of milk and honey. /Jettakingoff.gif

Six figures?????? The world is jacked.

 

[robochimp]

Never a valid excuse.

I'm not talking about his actions, I'm talking about his workers comp claim.

The institution responsible for the "orders" was sanctioned to the tune of 1 million dollars.

This cop proved that he suffered an "injury" while performing his job for the school.

 

[Megalosaro]

I'm seriously pissed off about this. This guy was a real shit piece, and now he's getting 38k?

That's god damn bullshit. His life should be ruined for what he did. Instead he gets compensated.

 

[DarkFlow]

The Nuremberg Trials took place in 1947

This study was not out by then to be used as counter evidence

also, comparing pepper spraying someone to committing genocide is silly

Just following orders never has, and never will be a defense no matter what some study says. I can just as easily make a counter study to disprove it.

 

[Grimm Fandango]

His life should be ruined for what he did.

......... really? really?

 

[Jarate]

Just following orders never has, and never will be a defense no matter what some study says. I can just as easily make a counter study to disprove it.

The Milgram experiment is one of the most famous psychological studies.

go ahead and find something else then. Humans are naturally prone to do behaviors that others in power tell them to do.

 

[jerry1594]

He should've at least gotten his ass kicked. What a fuck.

 

[Jarate]

also, people here blaming this guy need to read the study I posted about how humans work. You gotta put yourself in other peoples shoes sometimes

 

[wsoxfan1214]

Nazi's tried that "just following orders" defense during the nuremberg trials, let's just say it did not go over well.

Did you just compare this to Nazis?

 

[Manabanana]

The Nuremberg Trials took place in 1947

This study was not out by then to be used as counter evidence

also, comparing pepper spraying someone to committing genocide is silly

A full reading of the study and its findings shows the exact opposite of what you are you saying it proves. The study proves that the majority of people WILL NOT follow orders to intentionally inflict harm on another.

 

[Gherid__lacksGPS]

I took down a purse snatcher once and a bystander sprayed me with pepper because they thought I was just beating the shit out of the guy. Where the fuck is my 38,000?

 

[Angry Grimace]

He got $38,000.00, but he also got fired.

 

[robochimp]

I took down a purse snatcher once and a bystander sprayed me with pepper because they thought I was just beating the shit out of the guy. Where the fuck is my 38,000?

Was that a function of your job? Did you file a workman's comp claim?

 

[Angry Grimace]

I took down a purse snatcher once and a bystander sprayed me with pepper because they thought I was just beating the shit out of the guy. Where the fuck is my 38,000?

Did the purse snatcher get away and/or did you get an apology?

 

[Gherid__lacksGPS]

Was that a function of your job? Did you file a workman's comp claim?

Haha, no. Just getting a sandwich for lunch. That was a weird day.....

When I first saw those photo's some months ago, I knew right away this wasn't going to be the last of it. That "officer" guy looks to much like a tool for something more not to come about.

Did the purse snatcher get away and/or did you get an apology?

Cops showed up after myself and another dude subdued him - purses owners BF. Was arrested. The person who sprayed us, jetted - was a female.....go figure. I was actually on the phne talking to 911 while on his back when I got sprayed. People I've talked to say the snatcher and sprayer may have been working together.

 

[FallingEdge]

Dood made 120K? Curious as to how old he is and how long he has been at this job.

 

[WeAreStarStuff]

Should be in jail for assault.

 

[robochimp]

Dood made 120K? Curious as to how old he is and how long he has been at this job.

Cops and prison guards usually have the opportunity to work a lot of overtime, which can double their salary.

 

[DarkFlow]

Did you just compare this to Nazis?

Well not Nazis specifically, just the defense most of the low level guards used.

 

[Servbot24]

I should work out a deal with this guy. I'll have him pepper spray me, and we'll both file law suits. I'm fine with getting pepper sprayed for $40k.

 

[tino]

Everything about this is whats wrong about America.

You know those movies that show the ourruption of the Roman Emperors. When 500 from now, somebody want to make a movie about america, they will use this cop as the main character.

 

[TAJ]

also, people here blaming this guy need to read the study I posted about how humans work. You gotta put yourself in other peoples shoes sometimes

I've been in a position to make more money doing work that I found potentially objectionable. I made different decisions than this guy.