Your humble blogger wasted a good portion of his time studied Political Science at the University of California, Davis.  So it is with a great personal interest that I bring you this story:

Apparently, the police officer who famously pepper-sprayed Occupy Davis protestors has filed a workers’ compensation claim, and is actually set to appear for a Mandatory Settlement Conference in Sacramento on August 13 on a psyche claim allegedly sustained on July 18, 2011.  Your humble blogger is not going to post this gentleman’s name – he’s received enough harassment and threats and this family-friendly blog is disinclined to make his private life any less private.

Now, before we all get up in arms about this police officer getting benefits from the workers’ compensation system (follow the money: from tax-payer -> UC Davis -> peppery spray police officer) after he so casually pepper-sprayed the protesting students, please recall that this isn’t a fault-based system.  Even though an investigation concluded that the officer was wrong to use pepper-spray and his employment was eventually terminated, he did go through a pretty scary and traumatic event – he and his fellow officers were surrounded by a large mob of “students”, who barred their exit from the campus quad.

Then, after hackers revealed his identity, this office was the subject of a campaign of threats and harassment.

Without commenting on the merits of using pepper spray on protestors sitting on the floor, can’t we all agree that we have seen some claimants get benefits that they shouldn’t?  Don’t we routinely see lien claimants make a proverbial killing by billing insurers for $90 tissue boxes?  Don’t we see applicants demand ramps for their vacation homes and hot tubs in their apartments?

And don’t we allow outright frauds to limp into a hearing and then skip out again to their second jobs or mixed martial arts competitions?

As the kids say now adays – hate the game, not the “playa”; which I assume to mean the that we should object to a system, and not those who participate in it.  So, by all means, hate the comp system all you want, but don’t take it out on this police officer.