Two University of California at Davis police officers were placed on administrative leave following outrage from their point-blank pepper spraying of protesters. A group of about a dozen protesters sat down with arms interlocked in a show of solidarity to protect their encampment affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement. An officer walked down the line, spraying them in the face with the pepper spray. “When students are sitting on the ground and no way of moving to be violent, being totally peaceful, I don’t understand the use of pepper spray against them,” Sophia Kamran, one of the protesters, said.
The incident has sparked calls for the resignation of UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi, who initially involved the campus police in the protest. She has expressed regret for what happened in a written statement. “I am deeply saddened that this happened on our campus, and as chancellor, I take full responsibility for the incident,” she said. “However, I pledge to take the actions needed to ensure that this does not happen again.”
