DAVIS, Calif. — Hundreds of students and faculty members at the University of California at Davis gathered Monday in the campus quad to protest the use of pepper spray on students by university police last week.
The police Friday sprayed a group of students who were sitting down in a peaceful protest as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Eleven students were treated for the effects of pepper spray, including two who were treated at a hospital.
The university announced Monday that it has placed UC-Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza and two officers on administrative leave to restore trust and calm. UC officials are investigating the incident.
Some students Monday carried signs saying, “My voice is stronger than your pepper spray,” and there were calls for the ouster of UC-Davis chancellor Linda Katehi.
“I’m here to apologize,” Katehi told the crowd. “I really feel horrible for what happened on Friday.”
Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent that derives its active ingredient from chili peppers. When the spray is deployed, it causes nearly instant inflammation, resulting in dilation of the capillaries in the eyes, paralysis of the larynx and a burning sensation on the skin.
Decisions on using pepper spray ranges by department and depends largely on the community and the police chief, said David Klinger, a former Los Angeles Police Department officer and instructor at the University of Missouri at St. Louis who reviewed the pepper spray footage.
Klinger said the officers could have turned to other methods, such as a so-called pain-compliance hold, but that would bring its own set of complications. A protester could receive a broken arm, or an officer could pull a muscle.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
