Punk Ass UC Davis Cops Pepper Spraying Peaceful Protesters Placed On Leave!

University of California, Davis police officers involved in the pepper spraying of seated protesters were placed on administrative leave Sunday, as the school’s chancellor accelerated an investigation of the incident and made plans to meet with protesters amid calls for her resignation.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi said she has been inundated with reaction from alumni, staff, students and faculty over the incident Friday in which a riot gear-clad officer fires pepper spray on a line of sitting demonstrators. The protesters flinch and cover their faces but remain passive with their arms interlocked as onlookers shriek and scream out for the officer to stop.

The officers placed on leave have not been identified. In a news release, the university said, “Videos taken during Friday’s arrests showed that the two officers used pepper spray on peacefully seated students.”

The faculty association on Saturday called for Katehi’s resignation after video of the incident was circulated widely on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter on Saturday, saying in a letter there had been a “gross failure of leadership.”

Katehi has resisted calls for her to quit, vowing instead to rigorously investigate the incident during which 10 protesters were arrested.

“I am deeply saddened that this happened on our campus, and as chancellor, I take full responsibility for the incident,” Katehi said in a statement Sunday. “However, I pledge to take the actions needed to ensure that this does not happen again. I feel very sorry for the harm our students were subjected to and I vow to work tirelessly to make the campus a more welcoming and safe place.”

Katehi also set a 30-day deadline for a task force investigating the incident to issue its report. The task force will be comprised of students, staff and faculty, Katehi said, and will be chosen this week.

She plans to meet with demonstrators Monday at their general assembly, said her spokeswoman, Claudia Morain.

The protest was held in support of the overall Occupy Wall Street movement and in solidarity with protesters at the University of California, Berkeley who were jabbed by police with batons on Nov. 9.