Cop seeks workers comp benefits over video gone viral

UC Davis police lieutenant John Pike fires pepper spray at students blocking a sidewalk in protest of tuition hikes and other issues.

A former cop for the University of California, Davis is seeking workers compensation benefits for a psychiatric injury after a video that showed him dousing seated, unarmed student protesters with pepper spray went viral.

Former UC Davis police lieutenant John Pike is scheduled for a mandatory settlement conference on Aug. 13, according to a California Department of Industrial Relations website for tracking disputed workers compensation cases.

The electronic file shows Mr. Pike is seeking benefits from his former employer for a nervous system or psychiatric injury that occurred on Nov. 18, 2011. The video and photographs shot that day reportedly show Mr. Pike spraying the students who blocked a sidewalk in protest of tuition hikes and other issues.

Watch the video:

News reports say that as a result of the video, Mr. Pike has received death threats against himself and his family, while he was widely criticized across the Internet and eventually fired from his job.