Only in California

[Racket_Man]

The UC-Davis Police officer involved in pepper spraying non-violent student protesters get a workmen's comp claim payout of $38,000 for psychiatric damage he claims he suffered.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...38000#comments

[Andara Bledin]

Considering that he was the poster child for everything wrong with the authorities during the Occupy events, it's actually quite easy to believe that he does suffer some sort of mental issues as a result.

I mean, one minute he's the sort of cop that inspires the epithet "pig" and the next he's getting hate mail and threats by the bucket full.

Without further details, which we'll never get, I have to give this one a pass. However, in the range of "disability fraud," my suspicion is that this case is pretty low on the scale and wouldn't even have made a blip on the radar if the subject wasn't notorious for other reasons.

[mikoyan29]

Even if it's disability he brought on by himself?

[BlaqueKatt]

Even if it's disability he brought on by himself?

think about that for a second.

Now did he do something wrong?
Most definitely.

Did he deserve DEATH THREATS?
No. No human deserves to be threatened with death. full stop.

If you still maintain he "caused this himself"*, have a seat over there with the "she was asking for it" crowd, because victim blaming, is victim blaming.


*He was fired for his actions. The cause of the stress is the deplorable actions(threatening anyone with death, for any reason, is deplorable) of others that he had ZERO control over.

[Andara Bledin]

Technically, he didn't bring that on himself. Just because he's an asshole, that doesn't give others a free pass to also be assholes. What he brought on himself was the loss of his position and revocation of his ability to take up a similar position and possible criminal or civil liabilities as can be pursued.

Nobody deserves to be threatened or harassed.

[Panacea]

Granted no one deserves to be threatened or harassed.

However, workman's compensation does not cover workplace injuries if your own behavior is the cause of the injury. For example, if I get a needle stick injury from violating policy (say by recapping a dirty needle), then I'm not covered, even if I end up with Hep C or AIDS.

He created the circumstance that led to the stressors. I don't think he deserved a dime. I do think the WC board settled to keep him from getting a higher amount if he took it to court, which he likely would have done . . . or to keep from spending huge bucks defending the case that, even if they won, would cost more than it would be worth.

[Racket_Man]

Now I do not know how true the following statement is BUT

From what I have seen/heard on the news, California seems to have very liberal Workmen's Comp laws/rules. I have heard of cases where someone mildly insulted a coworker and the coworker filed for and received WC for "Psychological Damage" or "Mental Anguish"

[Hyena Dandy]

The implication that he brought it on himself is ludicrous, and it pretty much gives a free pass to people who are sending death threats, by saying that it's inevitable.

If you get something you DIRECTLY CAUSE by violating policy, yes. However, being a horrible officer did not DIRECTLY cause death threats. To say it did implies that the people sending death threats had no agency in this.

[s_stabeler]

even if he hadn't been punished, death threats are inappropriate. Pepper spray isn't dangerous to most people, just an irritant, ( the deaths in custody the ACLU attribute to pepper spray are actually caused by an intervening factor, like asthma, or use of restraining techniques that restrict the airway) so it is inappropriate the threaten death. The police officer, however, should not have got workers comp, but for a different reason. workers comp is for injuries sustained while you are performing your duties- he had stepped outside his duties.

[smileyeagle1021]

Nobody deserves to be threatened or harassed.

Tell that to the people he pepper sprayed who were offering no resistance for no other reason than he felt like it.
And people comparing this guy receiving death threats and a woman being raped are ridiculous. Wearing revealing clothing is not illegal and it does not harm others, pepper spraying an unarmed group offering no resistance is both illegal and causes harm. I cannot condone people making death threats against him, but at the same time, you reap what you sow.

[BlaqueKatt]

Tell that to the people he pepper sprayed who were offering no resistance for no other reason than he felt like it.

And that act was already argued AND He was punished for it. Death threats and harassment were NOT part of the punishment and are totally separate from the initial crime that was dealt with.

And people comparing this guy receiving death threats and a woman being raped are ridiculous.

Victim blaming is victim blaming, saying "he asked for it"(the death threats), is EXACTLY the same thing-VICTIM BLAMING. And "she was asking for it", doesn't always mean rape, the same defense is used for mere harassment.

He was a recipient of harassment, asking what he did to "deserve it" is no different than asking a female victim of sexual harassment what she did to "deserve it".

Victim blaming is a devaluing act where the victim of a crime, an accident, or any type of abusive maltreatment is held as wholly or partially responsible for the wrongful conduct committed against them.

[Andara Bledin]

Tell that to the people he pepper sprayed who were offering no resistance for no other reason than he felt like it.

To Everybody:

Nobody deserves to be threatened or harassed.

Either you believe in an orderly society where what he did was wrong and the reaction to what he did, or you believe in anarchy where he is just as not-wrong as those who reacted to it.

Just because he's an asshole does not change the fact that he's also a human being.

[Hyena Dandy]

Tell that to the people he pepper sprayed who were offering no resistance for no other reason than he felt like it.

Okay, if any of those people are here.

NOBODY DESERVES TO BE THREATENED OR HARASSED

Clear?

Not even if they're total dicks.

Threatening to kill someone is wrong. EVEN IF HE'S AN ASSHOLE. He deserved to lose his job over that, and HE DID. He was, in fact, properly punished. Threats and harassment are not part of a proper justice system.