California University Puts Officers Who Used Pepper Spray on Leave

(AggieTV) A scene from a video of the Occupy protest on Friday at the University of California, Davis.

By BRIAN STELTER
NYT

The University of California, Davis, said Sunday that two police officers had been placed on administrative leave after using pepper spray on seated protesters at the campus on Friday during a demonstration aligned with Occupy Wall Street.

Videos of the encounter, widely distributed over the Internet, showed two police officers in riot gear dousing the protesters with pepper spray as they sat on a sidewalk with their arms entwined.

Reflecting widespread anger over the police behavior, the university chancellor, Linda P. B. Katehi, said on Sunday that she would insist that an investigation of the matter be completed within 30 days. On Saturday, she said it would take 90 days.

Meanwhile, students and others affiliated with the Occupy U. C. Davis movement scheduled new protests for Monday and Tuesday.

(More here.)