A police officer who pepper-sprayed peaceful student protesters from just several feet away has been awarded almost £25,000 in compensation for the trauma he experienced as a result of his actions.

John Pike came to symbolise the heavy-handed policing of Occupy protests worldwide when a video of him spraying students in California who had locked arms and refused to leave a path went viral in November, 2011.

Occupy protests sprang up around the world in late 2011 (Picture: AP)

He was fired the following July after eight months of administrative leave when an investigation found Pike had no need to use the pepper spray, the spray itself was not sanctioned and he had used it from an unsafe distance.



But it has emerged that the 40-year-old, who had worked at the university for 11 years and was fired on a salary of $121,680 (£75,120) has been awarded compensation by UC Davis after suffering depression and anxiety from death threats he and his family received after the incident.


The Occupy movement began as a reaction to perceived greed on Wall Street but later spread around the US and the world (Picture: Getty)

His $38,056 settlement (£23,490) means the campus policeman has been compensated more than the victims of his pepper-spraying.

UC Davis agreed to settle a $1million (£617,360) federal suit for the students involved, with 21 plaintiffs receiving $30,000 (£18,520) each and 15 others $6,666 (£4,115).

John Pike was fired for pepper-spraying these students (Picture: AP)

Bernie Goldsmith, a local lawyer who supported the protesters told the Davis Enterprise the settlement ‘sends a clear message to the next officer nervously facing off with a group of passive, unarmed students: Go on ahead. Brutalise them. Trample their rights. You will be well taken care of’.

University spokesman Andy Fell added: ‘This case has been resolved in accordance with state law and processes on workers’ compensation.’