Video of UC Davis students being pepper sprayed in a protest related to Occupy Wall Street over the weekend has gone viral. Without any apparent provocation, campus police released a stream of pepper spray onto a row of seated protesters. Two of the officers involved in the spraying have been placed on leave. The incident has left many wondering why the police reacted this way and what can be done. Jon Shane is assistant professor of criminal justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and is a former Newark, New Jersey police officer.
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