Pepper Spray Cop Becomes an Internet Meme

Video of a UC Davis campus cop, Lt. John Pike, in full riot gear confronting peaceful student demonstrators and then casually pepper-spraying them went viral on Friday. The reaction from authorities to the viral clip has been swift: two police officers and the police chief were placed on leave, and UC President Mark Yudof has called for a review of police procedures across the entire system.

The school said in a statement that police Chief Annette Spicuzza was placed on “administrative leave to restore trust and calm tensions.”