Pepper-Spray Cop Gets Workers Comp for HIS Anxiety (for real)

California is making a run at Florida, with its rampaging feral cows, and now this: The Guardian reports that http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/23/pepper-spray-cop-uc-davis-compensation

 

The guy with the pepper spray gets paid

 the campus cop at UC Davis who pepper-sprayed a line of silent, kneeling, nonviolent occupy protesters has been awarded $38,000 in a workers-compensation settlement for anxiety and depression brought about by death threats received after he pepper-sprayed the innocent, nonviolent protestors.  Seriously, the officer, John Pike, had the cajones to claim anxiety and depression and demand workers compensation. It gets worse, comp was awarded because an internal investigation actually found he had acted appropriately.  (see link here)

The university had previously paid out $1m to settle a lawsuit filed by demonstrators who were pepper-sprayed during the protest. The sum represented $30,000 per demonstrator and an additional $250,000 in legal fees.
Bernie Goldsmith, a Davis attorney supportive of the student protesters, told the Associated Press that the settlement “sends a clear message to the next officer nervously facing off with a group of passive, unarmed students: Go on ahead. Brutalize them. Trample their rights. You will be well taken care of.”

Goldsmith is right, giving this cop workers comp for anxiety for pepper-spraying a line of peaceful nonviolent protestors is like giving Bull Connor workers comp for setting the dogs on civil rights protestors in Alabama.  It sends the exact wrong message.  He should have sat at home with his anxiety and depression and had a long, thoughtful therapy session about what he did, why it was wrong, and why he was receiving death threats (not that the death threats were appropriate – mind you – they weren’t).  Neither were his actions.  Giving him workers comp sends the message, like the earlier investigation, that his actions were appropriate, which they weren’t.  Brutalizing peaceful protestors is never right, and you shouldn’t get paid for it.

Full story and quotes from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/23/pepper-spray-cop-uc-davis-compensation

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