UC Davis to Pay Pepper-Sprayed Students' Medical Bills

by NowPublic Staff | November 23, 2011 at 08:29 am

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UC Davis to Pay for Injured Students' Treatment

UC Davis will pay the medical bills of students pepper-sprayed during the Occupy UC Davis sit-in. This will not necessarily stave off any impending lawsuits, however.

Linda Katehi: 'It Wasn't Me'

Meanwhile, UC Davis chancellor Linda Katehi is now saying that she told the cops not to use violence against the protesting students. This would probably have been more credible to the student body had she piped up earlier, and not only when her career is threatened.

UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza, currently on administrative leave after the police attack on the students, is getting thrown under the bus as Linda Katehi tries to keep her hands clean.

The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, which advises police agencies and officers statewide, says pepper spray "can have very serious and debilitating consequences," and "should only be generally used as a defensive weapon" and never to intimidate or retaliate.

Obviously there's a disconnect between those guidelines and police training and attitudes, since pepper spray has been the go-to weapon against nonviolent OWS demonstrators.