Parts of UC pepper-spray report to remain sealed
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Parts of a report on the pepper-spraying of student demonstrators by University of California, Davis police will remain under seal while a judge decides whether releasing the material would impact the privacy of officers, according to a ruling on Friday.
Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo said Friday that university officials can release most of their report on the incident, The Oakland Tribune reported.
However, sections that police have argued would violate their privacy if released will stay sealed while the officers' arguments are taken into consideration.
The investigation led by a former California Supreme Court judge was spurred by an officer dousing a row of protesters with pepper spray as they sat passively. Video of the incident drew worldwide attention and became a rallying point for the Occupy movement.
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University attorneys said they had not decided whether to release a partial version of the report.
"It may or may not make sense for us to release the report in a piecemeal fashion," UC attorney Charles Robinson told reporters after the hearing.
University officials did not expect to receive the judge's final written order until Monday, said UC spokesman Steve Montiel.
A UC Davis task force investigating the Nov. 18 crackdown on Occupy protesters was scheduled to publish its findings last week. But it delayed its release after learning the police officers' union planned to go to court to block the disclosure.
The union wants the university to remove officers' names and personnel information from the documents.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)