Each week, Queerty picks one blowhard, hypocrite, airhead, sanctimonious prick or other enemy of all that is queer to be the Douche of the Week. Have a nominee for DOTW? E-mail it to us at [email protected].
A search into the recently-infamous Lt. John Pike’s past behavior has unearthed that he is not only a total douche who casually pepper sprayed UC Davis students, but that he’s also a racist homophobic super-douche giving him the esteemed crowning of Queerty’s Douche of the Week. Shock of the century, right?!
The Daily Mail reports:
…an alleged anti-gay slur by Pike also figured in a racial and sexual discrimination lawsuit a former police officer filed against the department, which ended in a $240,000 settlement in 2008.
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Officer Calvin Chang’s 2003 discrimination complaint against the university’s police chief and the UC Board of Regents alleged he was systematically marginalized as the result of anti-gay and racist attitudes on the force, and he specifically claimed Pike described him using a profane anti-gay epithet.
Officer Calvin Chang says that he was not surprised when he saw that it was Pike who pepper sprayed the students. Chancellor Katehli, who is not short of criticism herself, says that the students were in their rights to peacefully demonstrate.
We’re not the only ones who think Pike is a major douche either. Anonymous, a group associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement, recently published Pike’s phone number and address online. They called and left a computer-generated voice message that stated among other threats, “We have no problem targeting police and releasing their information even if it puts them at risk because we want them to experience just a taste of the brutality and misery they serve us on an everyday basis.”
Harsh, indeed. Deserved? Drop us a comment and tell us what you think.
All together now: What a douche!
Mike1987
I personally have no problems with Anonymous publishing this wad’s personal information. I am pleased that the majority thinks’ this behavior is now unacceptable. We have indeed come a long way when 1 jerkwad’s activity is shot around the world and is universally condemned. The forces of hate and intolerance are finding less places to hide and even less places that are accepting of this. As much as we are appalled at these activities, too include the brutality we saw and the homophobia just mentioned, I feel we are actually seeing less and less because more and more simply don’t tolerate it.
christopher di spirito
Lt. Pike’s position at the University of California Davis is listed as “covered by a collective bargaining unit.”
This is the ugly flip-side of union jobs in law enforcement. It is close to impossible to rid the department of a bad cop because his union is there to go to battle for him.
While I support collective bargaining, sometimes “at-will” employment is a better shake and this is one of those examples.
Karl
What a foul, disgusting man he is!
dvlaries
“Douche” isn’t nearly a tough enough word for this candidate. Something much stronger is needed.
La Rouche
I think the name of this award should be changed. A douche is somebody who’s obnoxious and bothersome. This is more like Monster of the Week.
tjr101
Racist and homophobic? I’ll wager he is a Republican/Teaparty supporter as well!
JayKay
The only douches in this situation are the whiny, uppity, entitled, little Marxist stains on society who threw their lives away studying philosophy, sociology, theater arts, and *Insert poor horribly oppressed minority here* studies, and now expect everyone else to support them. They should be thankful that pepper spray is the worst these rent-a-cops are allowed to dish out.
Palto
Hey Jaykay the only person that should’ve been pepper sprayed is yo mama for hatching your fucking fowling existence.
Jasun Maark
Douche extraordinaire. I realize that being in law enforcement is a hard and often thankless task.
But this guy is a douche.
Zee
Maybe the douche will now think twice about acting douchey now that he’s being singled out by Anonymous. Good for them.
kylew
There’s no doubt that this cop is a thoroughly unpleasant human being, but I am wholly opposed to a bunch of self appointed vigilantes like Anonymous, circumventing the rule of law and publishing the cop’s details. Do his family deserve to have their lives put at risk because he’s a nasty piece of work?
And if this “civilsation” that we all get so pious about here means anything, it means that we follow legal procedure whenever possible. Yes, there are times for civil disobedience, when other means have been exhausted, but in this case, those avenues are only just being pursued. We can’t argue for THEIR legal right to protest, then dismiss HIS legal right not to have a bunch of non-appointed people act as judge and jury against him.
I don’t care what you think about his actions, this is lynch mob behaviour, and thankfully, that is largely in the past in the US and Europe. Or do we think it’s okay to act like barbarians when it suits us?
CBRad
@kylew: I’ll agree that publishing his address online is wrong. He could have family members that are innocent, maybe even can’t stand him themselves, but that won’t matter if his house is set on fire.
hf2hvit
@Karl: That is NO man
West Egg
@JayKay: <little Marxist stains who….expect everyone else to support them
This is a cute little meme you’re trying to perpetuate. Too bad there isn’t a shred of truth to it.
Most of these protesters don’t expect anyone else to support them. What they *do* expect is a fair playing field where they have as good a chance at supporting themselves as the next guy.
hf2hvit
@JayKay: You been lickin’ some nasty ass or something?
JKB
@JayKay: You need to get back on your meds.
Richard H
Have to say I agree with kylew ’bout the release of address etc., but let’s hope the neighbors don’t send chicken soup. . .
@JayKay , and your address is ?? 😉
perdeep
It should come as no surprise that someone with contempt for the rights of students, youth, and poor people also doesn’t give two shits about racial and sexual minorities. Bigots are usually bigots across the board. I mean, for crying out loud, he’s doing a dangerous job where the only thing they can count on is support from fellow officers, and he’s willing to compromise that to discriminate against his own co-worker. He’s not just a douche, he’s stupid.
Politically Incorrect Thug
Not only are you predictably cop-bashing, but aligning yourself with a poisonous organization like Anonymous? Way to keep it classy, Queerty.
GayGOP
Damn! I liked Officer Pike up until now!
ke
Good for Anonymous. Maybe they can get that boy Jamie’s bullies personal information up on the web. It would be nice to go after the families of those assholes and fuck up their lives.
ke
@kylew: how pussy of you. Pathetic.
CBRad
@ke: When I was a kid I had to live with truly rotten relatives I hated. I’m glad no one decided to “fuck up” my life because of things they might have done.
ke
@CBRad: spare me.
MKe
Haha the first thing I thought when I saw him spray the students was that he reminded me of the many conservative online trolls I’ve sparred with. It was political animosity. But damn you don’t get fired for costing the U 240k?
declanto
This dogturd placed himself beyond and above the law when he pressed the release nozzle on that can. Anonymous does not feel morally compelled to obey the law. They may be illegal, but they don’t sit on their asses waiting for dubious justice. Beats the shit out of saying “Oh, naughty meanie officer!” or “But that’s ILLEGAL!” Anonymous rocks.
declanto
To say Anonymous is “a group associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement” is borderline disingenuous.
the undeniable
@christopher di spirito: very true. i love the concept of unions, but like everything, humans have a unique way of bastardizing the greatest concepts.
Libertarian Larry
@declanto: Errr, MSNBC claims it was Anonymous that started the OWS movement, and Anonymous claims it’s likewise responsible, so how is it disingenuous to state that they’re affiliated?
GOD (gay old dude)
Have any of you actually read what happened there? A group of people protesting that they don’t get enough free shit from Uncle Sam surrounded the area and informed the cops that they were circled and could not leave. In response, a cop casually sprays them down so they’ll clear a path. It was not excessive, or even uncalled for, he was perfectly legit in hosing those losers down. Wanna know why those who were sprayed were also arrested, but the cop isn’t facing reprimand? Because he DID NOTHING WRONG.
Kev C
@Libertarian Larry: It wasn’t Anonymous that started OWS. It was Union leaders disatisfied with Obama. Like the Tea Party, the OWS started as an astroturf movement that became popular. Do you really think some poor hipsters had the means to fund and organize this movement?
Don
@kylew: Publishing information is hardly barbarism. And the legal system will, at most, remove him from his position. He’ll never be arrested, tried, and imprisoned for multiple assaults under the current system. Just one of many things that need to be changed. If simply publishing personal information may in some way help these people be reminded that they are members of society, I’m all for it. As for the their family and friends… it’s unfortunate. They have to live in the hell that their loved ones have helped to create.
I don’t at all promote violence. But these men can’t live in the shadows, avoid of comment and accountability.
CBRad
@Don: What if someone sets the house on fire and infants and pets die? Remember the Duke lacrosse case, when gays joined with activists in, not only trying to incite people to set the lacrosse house on fire, but giving out the players’ addresses to every lunatic there? Those guys turned out to be totally innocent, but even if they hadn’t been, do you think it’s right to endanger the lives of children, pets, old people? This guy is no doubt a scumbag, but giving out addresses to potentially unstable people realy is- almost- barbaric. Too many psychos out there.
Steve
@CBRad: Passivity and turning heads such as what this individual (CBRad) does is a huge problem within the gay community. That’s why things like this happen to gay people. Because nobody’s afraid of gay people when they should be.
BobC562
@JayKay: Sooooo, you know what each of those kids’ major is? Wow, I couldn’t find that on “the Google.” And they’re not rent-a-cops. They’re supposedly trained peace officers who are licensed to use, among other things, deadly force. You really are just clueless, aren’t you?
declanto
@Libertarian Larry: Yes, we can trust MSNBC and all the media to bring us truth untarnished. And no doubt the existence of Anonymous is one of the motivating factors in OWS, but Anonymous, much like the 99%, is much more and has been here long before OWS. Remember them trashing Westboro baptist’s server?
@Kev C: The unions hopped on the OWS only after the movement started getting media notice.
Frizzle65
@(gay old dude): What you’re describing is what the officers claim happened. All the video evidence shows that what they claimed was false.
Kris
He looks like a used douche applicator…he so ugly on the outside and inside.
Don
@CBRad: once aain, that would be unfortunate. However… you, me, and everyone else has to live in the hell that “men” like Mr. Pike create. Why should it be any different for theinfants, old people and pets (pets…really?)?
What a horrible arguement. Let the guilty police officier go free to prevent possible arson by some nutjob… you should run for president. You got the “fear factor” angle down.
takakupo
@GOD (gay old dude):
Those protestors were protesting fee increases, not losing any scholarships or financial aid. Not to mention the Fee increases were over 80% which meant that their 13K tuition would turn into 20K tuition and blow their chances out of the water of becoming part of the educated working class. I don’t know where you’re “Free shit” talking point comes from but it’s totally wrong and flippantly off the mark.
blaine rushworth
@JayKay: you sound like an envious and bitter sad sack who does nothing but compare himself to others who YOU think have an easier life than you. YOU are resposible for YOUR shitty life. If you had any kind of education, you would see the reality of this right wing bullshit. Dumb ass.
Shannon1981
Surely blatant racism and homophobia, along with pepper spraying people doing nothing wrong are grounds for termination. If these things won’t get the man fired, what will??
Where is his information published? I think I would like to give him a call on my break today.
vixlad
He got what he deserve. That is one hateful, bitter, self-loathing man who seems dead on the inside. I pity him.
vixlad
He got what he deserves. That is one hateful, bitter, self-loathing man who seems dead on the inside. I pity him.
ecostar
@GOD You cannot possibly be serious. Among other things the students were protesting the raising of tuition in California colleges. at UC Davis, yearly tuition doubled in the last five years, and there are proposals to hike tuition by another third. These tuition hikes are making college inaccessible to most students. That doesn’t sound like asking for freebies, that’s expressing real concern for their ability to get a college education. As for protesting, you must really hate America, if you prioritize a clear sidewalk over our Constitutionally protected rights to free speech and peaceful assembly. Shame on you and Shame on the douchbag cop that used excessive force for no good or useful reason.
Bugboy
I’m sorry but this guy has cost the taxpayers of California $240,000 beyond his salary and benefits due to his own unprofessional conduct. Why is he still employed there?
Why is it that collective bargaining protects idiots like this? I have personal experience with unions that are of the same nature: unions are used by these bastards to protect their cowardly worldviews. It does unions no good to insist this is not happening. I have people at my workplace right now running around screwing off but making damn sure they are informing the boss who isn’t doing their jobs.
That is how the workplace is in the real world: Point your finger at someone else and yell loud enough, an employer stops looking at how lousy of an employee you are and relieve you of responsibility. It is simply an excuse for bad management. Anyone who has children will know how that game works, and we all know how many bad parents there are out there.
pyrrhic
@GOD (gay old dude):
——————————————————-
Actually, what this huge, rancid, steaming bucket of santorum did was very much illegal. According to the US Code on use of chemical weapons…
http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/18C11B.txt
RCCA
@CBRad: Agreed, just because the guy is a douche doesn’t make it right to publish his personal info. Innocent people who live with him, who might also think he is a douche, could be harmed.