John Pike, the ex-University of California Davis police lieutenant who infamously pepper-sprayed innocent demonstrators during a November 2011 Occupy protest has been awarded over $38,000 in workman's compensation settlement pay. The Davis Enterprise reports that the figure is roughly $8,000 more than each demonstrator received from the university.
Pike was fired in July 2012, but filed for workman's compensation, claiming that the fallout from his termination resulted in him experiencing both anxiety and depression. Worse, he alleged that his family received death threats.
The settlement was approved by Administrative Law Judge Harter, who agreed with the university that the more than $80,000 that Pike received during his eight months of paid suspension wasn't enough compensation. Thus, he was awarded the $38,056. Pike earned $121,680 as a lieutenant.
Does this not signal to any overzealous cop that you can cross the line, be rightfully terminated and still cash out in the end?
[via Gawker and the Davis Enterprise]
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