11/19/11 to Linda P.B. Katehi U.C. Davis
Chancellor
Very
disturbing is the video of your Jack-Booted thugs
attacking innocent and peaceful protesters. In your statement, you
identify them as University police, but they remind me of the
California Highway Patrolmen during the Vietnam War protests in
Oakland and Berkeley. The officer(s) who intentionally pepper-sprayed
directly into the eyes of the students should be fired at the
very least. In reality he should be criminally charged with
aggravated assault.
You say, “I do not think that I have
violated the policies of the institution, I have worked personally
very hard to make this campus a safe campus for all." If that
was true you would never have unleashed these animals upon your
students.
Charles J. Kelly, a former Baltimore Police Department lieutenant who wrote the department's use of force guidelines, has been quoted as saying pepper spray is a "compliance tool" that can be used on subjects who do not resist, and is preferable to simply lifting protesters.
"When you start picking up human bodies, you risk hurting them," Kelly said. "Bodies don't have handles on them."
After reviewing the video, Kelly said he observed at least two cases of "active resistance" from protesters. In one instance, a woman pulls her arm back from an officer. In the second instance, a protester curls into a ball. Each of those actions could have warranted more force, including baton strikes and pressure-point techniques.
"What I'm looking at is fairly standard police procedure," Kelly said.
This should NOT be “standard police procedure! Your officers acted like a pack of wild dogs. Would you feel better if they had taken their batons and beat the tar out of these peaceful “resisters”? The activities of your officers are a clear indication of the sad militarization of police in America. Your jack-booted thugs would have gladly mowed down those peaceful students (remember Kent State) if the order had been given. If you agree with Kelly, you are both sick!
Maybe, during your investigation, you should look into what these “officers” teach their children; how do they treat their spouses?
Ten people were arrested. You owe them an apology and there should be no charges filed. UC Davis Police Chief Annette Spicuzza said the decision to use pepper spray was made at the scene.
"The students had encircled the officers," she said Saturday. "They needed to exit. They were looking to leave but were unable to get out." All these officers needed to do was announce they were leaving and, believe me, the students would have parted like the Red Sea to let them retreat. Spicuzza'a statement is a bald-faced lie!
Watching your walk of shame as you left the campus was like watching Nazi leaders as they passed by the bodies of holocaust victims. You should resign!
You say that UCD will study what
happened and take appropriate measures to remedy the situation. The
remedy is very easy - tell your Jack-Booted thugs enough is
enough!
The whole world is watching.
Thomas Daly
Retired
California Newspaper Publisher