[Civil complaint here: Baker v. Katehi, et. al., 12-cv-450-JAM]
Nineteen students and alumni have filed a federal lawsuit against UC Davis over the point-blank dousing of Occupy protesters with pepper spray on Nov. 18.
The students are accusing the university and its Police Department of failing to properly train and supervise its officers, resulting in the use of “unacceptable and excessive force” that violated the protesters’ First and Fourth Amendment rights.
“Using military-grade pepper spray and police violence against nonviolent student protesters violates the constitution, and it’s just wrong,” said Michael Risher, staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, who is among those representing the protesters, in a news release.
“When the cost of speech is a shot of blinding, burning pepper spray in the face, speech is not free.”
