U.C. Davis Investigation…
…confirms common sense about that atrocious pepper spray incident last fall. Added touches: the cops acted against orders; they were untrained and unauthorized to use the spray; and — what else? — a sex panic. Figures that anything this fished up would just have to involve a sex panic too. From the report:
“On balance, there is little factual basis supporting Lt. Pike’s belief that he was trapped by the protesters or that his officers were prevented from leaving the Quad. Further, there is little evidence that any protesters attempted to use violence against the police.”
Is it just me or does the concept “Leadership Team” simply suggest a conduit for blame dispersal? Responsibility whack-a-mole.
If the thugs weren’t trained or authorized to use pepper spray, why then were they armed with it in the first place? Who is watching the watchers? No one, apparently.Report
It does sound that way.
Somewhat in its defense, however, there are a lot of sections in the report assigning personal blame for various failures, implicating everyone from the officer who did the spraying all the way up to the chancellor. There are very definitely individuals singled out for bad decisions and inappropriate conduct. What consequences they will face it doesn’t seem to be the aim of the report to establish.
How did the police get this product if they weren’t authorized to have or use it? That’s a question whose answer I haven’t found yet, and it doesn’t look like it’s in there. Still, you’re right that it’s an obvious question.Report
.Katehi told investigators that she didn’t want to invite “the use of drugs and sex and other things”
How long has she worked at a college, again?Report
I believe she was formerly the Dean of Students at Bob Jones University.Report
Also, if a group of police lieutenants disobeyed their chief, used unauthorized weapons, and created a public and costly embarrassment to the University, whey weren’t they fired for cause immediately?Report
I recall writing then that any UCDavis security employee should have called in sick when the shit went down. No medals or promotions were on offer, only firings if not indictments.
Details unimportant.
Annette Spicuzza, come on down, and welcome to You’re Fucked Now.
Let your stormtroopers touch and move the protesters, and there are wrenched necks. Step over or around them, and they have been trampled. Tell them in advance they’ll be sprayed if they don’t move, it’s your fault if you spray them when they don’t move.
Call in sick, if your on security staff. If I were Chief Spicuzza’s spouse, friend, or lawyer, I’d have recommended she come down with a toothache, a back spasm, or cancer. No good can come of reporting for duty.
Jason, I’m sure your indictment—or whoever’s making it—is accurate. Something better could have been done. What that something is—rather than doing nothing—nobody has a gaddam clue.
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That pic made me lol. And then I lol’d again when I thought about skunks getting sprayed with a noxious chemical.
Thanks, Tom!Report
They should have called in Brother Jed.
He was usually able to empty the quad back in ’92.Report
“What that something is—rather than doing nothing—nobody has a gaddam clue.”
At the risk of sounding cynical, whatever that something was probably should have included:
1. Not pepper-spraying students that were just sitting there while people were pointing cameras at them
2. Not initially claiming their lives were in jeopardy, because of aforementioned cameras
Which is not to disagree with your main thesis, Tom. I just think that even if every potential path was bound to be thankless, from a PR perspective they still somehow managed to choose one that was especially poor.Report