A local judge in California has temporarily blocked the release of a university report on the pepper-spraying of UC Davis student protesters on November 18 by campus police.

 

Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo’s ruling came after a police union, the Federated University Police Officers Association, requested the temporary restraining order. The union contends that certain portions of the report contain personal information about the guards involved in the incident that should be kept confidential.

 

A police union attorney said the portions in question contained details similar to those of a patient’s hospital records. The report was prepared by a task force led by former state Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso and aided by a security consulting firm headed by former Los Angeles police Chief William J. Bratton.

 

A hearing is scheduled on March 16 to decide if the temporary restraining order should be dropped or a permanent injunction granted.

 

Two weeks ago, 19 students and alumni who were pepper-sprayed filed a lawsuit against campus administrators and police, including Chancellor Linda Katehi and the campus police officer who sprayed the students, Lt. John Pike.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

 

Judge Blocks UC Davis Pepper-Spraying Report (by Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times)

UC Davis Officials Sued over Pepper Spraying (by Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times)