Yesterday, the UC Davis police officer who made headlines for the pepper spray incident on campus was awarded $38,000 for suffering mental depression and anxiety related to the bad press and public backlash related to the pepper spray event. Fox News reported that the 40-year-old officer received death threats to his family after the November 18, 2011 event. After the pepper spray video went viral, Officer Pike started suffering from depression and anxiety symptoms from the backlash and having his personal information posted online. He also stated that he received a variety of death threats which further contributed to his condition. Finally, Pike was fired in July 2012 after 8 months of administrative leave which was paid by the UC Davis campus police department. This prompted Pike to file a workers’ compensation claim for pepper spray events that became famous in the media.
