Here's one victory Occupy protesters can claim: Lt. John Pike, the pepper-spraying happy cop at UC Davis, is no longer on the police force.
No word on whether Pike, who callously sprayed a group of students participating in a peaceful protest last year, was fired; university officials have remained tight-lipped about the circumstances of his departure.
"Consistent with privacy guidelines established in state law and
university policy, I can confirm that John Pike's employment with the
university ended on July 31, 2012," Barry Shiller, spokesman for UC Davis, told media outlets. "I'm unable to comment
further."
However, the Sacramento Bee reports that Pike's departure coincided with an internal affairs investigation into his
and other officers' actions on the campus quad on Nov. 18, when Pike doused a group of students and protesters who had been seated and refused to disperse, per police orders.
Pike, who earned $110,243.12 annually, has been on paid leave since the fiasco last year, which ignited outrage well beyond the borders of the Bay Area. The image of Pike in riot gear spraying protesters with the chemical went viral -- as did the memes.
Afterward, students sued the university and people everywhere called on top UC Davis officials to resign.
And then Anonymous threatened Pike, with this amazing video.
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