US / Lt. John Pike Pepper-Spraying Cop Leaves UC Davis No word on what led to Lt. John Pike's departure By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff Posted Aug 1, 2012 1:32 PM CDT Copied In this Nov. 18, 2011, photo, UC Davis Police Lt. John Pike uses pepper spray on Occupy protesters. (AP Photo/The Enterprise, Wayne Tilcock, File) As of yesterday, the pepper-spraying cop no longer works at UC Davis. "I can confirm that John Pike's employment with the university ended on July 31, 2012," a spokesperson tells the San Francisco Chronicle. No word on what led to the lieutenant's departure. Pike became an Internet meme—and earned the wrath of Anonymous—after he methodically sprayed sitting protesters in November. He was suspended with pay afterward, and a task force found fault with police conduct during the incident and recommended reforms. He relocated and changed his contact information after receiving thousands of threats; his boss stepped down in April. (More Lt. John Pike stories.) Report an error