UC Davis pepper-spray officer awarded $38,000

[Liberal_in_LA]

10-23) 17:18 PDT DAVIS -- 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.

http://www.sfgate.com/politics/joegarofoli/article/38K-workers-comp-for-UC-Davis-pepper-spray-cop-4920773.php

[niyad]

1. dear goddess, PLEASE tell me this is actually from the Onion???

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. nope

[mike_c]

3. one can only hope his "suffering" was worth every dime....

Pig.

[mattvermont]

4. what a worthless

piece of shit. I hope that he lives every minute in regret for his actions...and that he blew all that money on lottery tickets.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

5. $38,000, tax-free.

[KarenS]

6. Bullies often flip to "victim" when caught. n/t

[PowerToThePeople]

19. yes.

same with domestic abuse.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Yup

And things like this confirm my view, we live in a bully enabling culture at the very least.

[lonestarnot]

7. Wow.

[BlueJazz]

8. 38 Huh ? Yep that's what he deserves. a 38

(thousand)

[niyad]

9. can his victims turn around and sue him now that he has some money?

on reading the rest of the article:

.. . .

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.

More than 17,000 angry or threatening e-mails, 10,000 text messages and hundreds of letters were sent to Pike after the video went viral, according to the police union.

Pike repeatedly changed his phone number and e-mail address and lived in various locations. He left the campus police force in July 2012.

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

Earlier this year, UC Davis settled a federal lawsuit by paying $1 million to three dozen protesters who were pepper-sprayed.

[joshcryer]

17. The settlement probably said they wouldn't sue.

Looks like the protesters got a pesky $15k each as shut up money. Wonder if any of them refused it.

[Xithras]

29. The students got about $30k each from the school.

And no, none refused it. Because there was no permanent injury, there was a real question about how much additional money they'd have got in court. They might have convinced a jury to hand over $50k, but after paying their attorneys could have actually walked away with less money than the settlement offered. Instead of spending years in court without anything to suggest that they'd land a better offer, they all took the deal.

[BluegrassStateBlues]

10. What a disgusting piece of garbage. nt

[Divine Discontent]

11. words fail me, so I'll let your words speak my feelings. just shocking to read that title.

http://www.zazzle.com/shutdown_the_gop_by_voting_in_2014_government-128195183613839642?rf=238107662556833486

[LuvNewcastle]

27. Exactly what I was thinking. n/t

[Egnever]

12. Doesn't really surprise me.

This guy had no problem spraying people in the face. Exactly the type of person I would expect to bring such a suit.

That he won it is a tad shocking but then he was put before the world. I am quite sure the world was not pleased...

[Starry Messenger]

13. About 10,000 more than I make a year.

But I actually teach, not spray my students in the face with pepper spray. Maybe adjuncts should go into campus security.

[joshcryer]

16. Jesus that's criminal.

28k for a teacher.

[Starry Messenger]

21. Several have it worse than me.

I'm lucky to be in a union. You can sign this and pass it along if you'd like. http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/better-pay-for-adjuncts

[joshcryer]

22. Singed, no problem.

[niyad]

23. that police officer was making nearly 120k/year

[joshcryer]

25. I saw.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

14. And so it goes,

deeper into the abyss of no rationality.

We are fucked over, and will continue to be be ever more so, until we, as a united people, say "no more!"

[joshcryer]

15. So more than double what the protesters got.

Doesn't include the 8 months of paid leave he got.

[TeamPooka]

18. Thugs 'n Money. nt

[LWolf]

20. Unbelievable.

[Savannahmann]

24. It's always entertaining to me.

Police who refuse to follow the rules of the system, always run to it and demand the protection and benefits of the system they denied their victims.

[gopiscrap]

26. fucking shit bag asshole cop

they're all like that!

[MisterP]

28. suddenly the beet-faced Right is no longer saying that therapy and mental damage are "for p-ssies"

the only ones who'll be allowed to flood their objections online and on teevee are the Hayekites saying that if you don't like this (and they don't either, 'coz they're libruler than thou), work to end all lawsuits except SLAPPs

[Nye Bevan]

30. Hard nosed badass cop morphs into whining crying victim

who needs a few thousand bucks to soothe his pain and trauma.