UC Davis cop fired over pepper spray expected to get comp benefits
Posted On: Aug. 16, 2013 12:00 AM CST
The University of California, Davis expects to provide workers compensation benefits for a former police officer who drew national attention for pepper-spraying seated demonstrators, a university spokeswoman confirmed Friday.
John Pike, who was dismissed from his position as UC Davis police lieutenant, is seeking work comp benefits from his former employer for a nervous system or psychiatric injury that occurred on Nov. 18, 2011, California Department of Industrial Relations records show.
Video and photographs taken that day showed him spraying students who blocked a sidewalk in protest of tuition hikes and other issues. As a result of the video, Mr. Pike received death threats against himself and his family, while he was widely criticized across the Internet.
His case had been scheduled for an Aug. 13 settlement hearing,
But a Sacramento, Calif., court judge removed the meeting from a hearing calendar and ordered a disability rater to evaluate the awarding of benefits, according to UC Davis.
“Although (an) agreement has not been completed, the university expects that, in accordance with the board rating, John Pike will receive financial compensation,” the university said in a statement.