UC Davis Police Department

All documented incidents relevant to POST oversight, presented in chronological order. Incidents predating mandatory reporting laws are labeled accordingly and included to document pattern of conduct. No incident is abbreviated or omitted.

First and only fatal officer-involved shooting in UC Davis campus history. Soriano, 26, of Antioch, was high on methamphetamine and fired at officers outside Regan Hall. Officers returned fire, killing Soriano. Officers were cleared of wrongdoing by the Yolo County District Attorney, the Yolo County Critical Incident Response Team, and internal affairs. This occurred under Chief Calvin Handy’s command.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: Predates SB 1421 (2019), AB 48 (2022). OIS reporting to DOJ under then-applicable statutes. POST use-of-force standards applicable.

Reported to POST/DOJ? PRE-MANDATORY — Yolo County DA cleared officers. UC Davis provided records from this incident under SB 1421 to Voice of San Diego in 2020 — one of only two OIS records released by any UC campus. Included to document pattern.

An estimated 500–1,000 people gathered at Sterling University Vista Apartments in East Davis as multiple private parties merged. Beer bottles were thrown at police; individuals jumped on vehicles; “swarm robberies” occurred. Officers donned riot gear. Tear gas was fired into the complex along with pepper spray. Over 30 officers from CHP, Yolo County Sheriff, and UC Davis PD responded.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: Predates AB 48 (2022). Tear gas and pepper spray deployment in a crowd-management setting would today trigger mandatory AB 48 reporting. Mutual aid documentation requirements applicable.

Reported to POST/DOJ? PRE-MANDATORY — Pre-AB 48. No current reporting obligation. Included to document recurring Picnic Day crowd-control weapon use history and establish pattern of conduct for the department.

Calvin Chang — the first openly gay and Asian-American officer on UC Davis police force, hired in 2002 — filed a discrimination lawsuit against the UC Board of Regents alleging racial and sexual orientation discrimination. A supervisor (identified as including Lt. John Pike) allegedly used a homophobic slur. A death threat was allegedly made during his service. Settlement: $240,000, with $66,000 allocated to Chang’s attorney. The settlement required Chang to resign as a condition of resolution.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: POST standards on workplace discrimination and officer conduct; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act; California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Gov. Code §12940. Sustained discrimination findings may implicate SB 2 decertification review for involved supervisors.

Reported to POST/DOJ? UNKNOWN — No public record of POST reporting for discrimination findings. The settlement required Chang’s resignation as a condition of resolution. As a result, no sustained internal finding against named officers appears in available public records — a fact that may be relevant to any POST review of whether reporting obligations under applicable standards were triggered by the underlying conduct.

Calvin Chang filed a second lawsuit against the UC Regents and Chief Spicuzza alleging breach of the 2008 settlement, ongoing discrimination, and retaliation. The university allegedly falsely reported that he resigned due to misconduct and added negative documents to his personnel file. Chief Spicuzza allegedly attempted to evict him from university housing. UC Davis filed over 100 motions to dismiss; approximately 90% of claims were dismissed by 2012, but five discrimination causes of action survived and proceeded to trial.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: POST standards on officer retaliation; FEHA; Brady/Giglio implications if dishonesty findings were sustained against named officers during this litigation.

Reported to POST/DOJ? UNKNOWN — Case proceeded to trial on surviving claims. Final disposition not identified in available public records.

Chithien Le, 28, another Asian-American officer, filed suit alleging sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and hostile work environment. Officers allegedly logged onto Le’s computer and changed his desktop wallpaper to gay pornography. Officers Rob Stoleo, Shawn Bowers, and Danny Sheffield were specifically named. Le was called “the next Calvin Chang” as a slur. Despite being nominated for officer of the year after his first year, Le received a termination notice in February 2008.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: POST standards on officer conduct and workplace harassment; Title VII; FEHA. A pattern of discrimination complaints from multiple officers within the same department and timeframe may constitute a systemic issue warranting POST review.

Reported to POST/DOJ? UNKNOWN — Final disposition not identified in available public records. Two discrimination lawsuits from separate officers within the same department and overlapping time period establish a documented pattern.

UC Davis disclosed that it had over-reported forcible sexual offenses by 140% for three consecutive years (2005–2007). Reported totals were 48, 68, and 69 offenses respectively. The correct figures were 21, 23, and 33 — a total overcount of 108 incidents across the three-year period. The discrepancy was attributed to Jennifer Beeman, director of the Campus Violence Prevention Program (16 years of service), who was placed on leave in December 2008 for improperly charged travel expenses and departed in June 2009.

S. Daniel Carter of Security on Campus stated: “completely unprecedented — we have never seen anything like that before.” Each violation carried a potential fine of $27,500; UC Davis was therefore eligible for up to $2.97 million in federal penalties. Ironically, UC Davis had received the inaugural Jeanne Clery National Safe Campus Award in 1996. UC Davis self-reported to both the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice. The subsequent review was overseen by Dolores Stafford (past IACLEA president). No evidence of an actual fine being imposed was located in available public records.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: Clery Act (20 U.S.C. §1092(f)); 34 C.F.R. §668.46. Data integrity requirements. This is a documented compliance failure unique in national Clery Act history, involving over-reporting rather than the typical pattern of under-reporting.

Reported to POST/DOJ? PARTIALLY COMPLIANT — UC Davis self-reported to both U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice. No evidence a fine was actually imposed despite eligibility for up to $2.97 million in penalties.

The 96th annual Picnic Day turned violent by evening: street fights, assaults on officers, reports of women being groped, reports of gunfire, and widespread property damage. Scott Heinig, a recent UC Davis baseball graduate, died from a head injury sustained at a private house party. Davis PD recorded 38 arrests (30 misdemeanor, 6 felony), 60 citations, and 516–545 calls for service compared to approximately 100 on a typical weekend. Police were so overwhelmed that they could not respond to many calls during the peak period. The aftermath nearly resulted in permanent cancellation of Picnic Day.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: POST use-of-force reporting (if force used during arrests); Clery Act (campus crime statistics, timely warnings); mutual aid documentation requirements.

Reported to POST/DOJ? UNKNOWN — Heinig’s death occurred at a private off-campus house party. Available public records do not establish that the event was located on Clery-reportable geography or that it was institutionally affiliated in a manner that would trigger a Clery Act reporting obligation. Whether force used during the 38 arrests was individually reported to POST is not documented in available records. Massive mutual aid mobilization for the subsequent 2011 Picnic Day (64 arrests, 269+ citations) followed as a documented institutional response.

On November 18, 2011, during Occupy UC Davis protests on the campus quad, Lt. John Pike and Officer Alexander Lee pepper-sprayed seated, nonviolent student demonstrators at close range with MK-9 pepper spray. Chief Spicuzza initially told the Davis Enterprise she was “very proud” of officers and falsely claimed that officers had been “trapped” by protesters — a characterization subsequently contradicted by video evidence and independent review findings.

Total Documented Costs: approximately $2.7 million+, broken down as follows:

• Kroll investigation (led by former NYPD/LAPD Commissioner William Bratton): $445,879
• Internal affairs investigations (Van Dermyden Allison Law Corp + Norman A. Traub Associates): $230,256
• UC systemwide Edley-Robinson report: $320,000
• UC Berkeley officials’ salaries/fees for systemwide review: $88,686
• Crisis management consulting: $119,714
• Baker v. Katehi class action settlement: $1,000,000 ($30,000 each to 21 named plaintiffs; up to $100,000 additional claimants; $250,000 attorney fees)
• Pike workers’ compensation award: $38,056
• Pike paid leave salary (~8 months on $121,680 annual salary): approximately $81,120
• Spicuzza paid leave salary (~5 months on $140,417 annual salary): approximately $61,500
• Officer Alexander Lee paid leave: approximately $38,040
• Reputation management — Nevins & Associates of Maryland ($15,000/month, six-month contract beginning January 2013, contracted to “eradicate” Google references to the incident) plus additional NYC-based consultant: $175,000+

Personnel Chronology: Chief Spicuzza was placed on paid leave on November 21, 2011; announced her retirement on April 18, 2012 (retirement forced, preserving pension); retired with full benefits before the internal investigation was complete, having drawn approximately $61,500 in paid leave salary during that period. Lt. Pike was fired by Chief Carmichael on July 31, 2012, overruling two separate internal investigations that had recommended lesser discipline. On September 19, 2012, the Yolo County District Attorney declined to prosecute Pike. On October 16, 2013, Pike was awarded $38,056 in workers’ compensation for “psychiatric injuries” resulting from threats received after the incident — approximately $8,000 more than the $30,000 each pepper-sprayed student received in the class action settlement. Officer Alexander Lee departed by July 2012; the circumstances of his departure were never officially confirmed by the department.

Independent Review Findings (Reynoso Task Force, April 11, 2012): The independent task force, chaired by former California Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso and appointed by UC President Mark G. Yudof, found: (1) the pepper spray deployment “should and could have been prevented”; (2) Lt. Pike’s use of MK-9 pepper spray on seated, non-resisting students was “objectively unreasonable”; (3) officers used an unauthorized stream-delivery method rather than the policy-approved fog variant; (4) Pike had no clearly defined role in the operations plan yet was responsible for the key decision about the weapon used; (5) Chief Spicuzza’s actions were “critically flawed”; and (6) the department was “very dysfunctional.”

Internal Investigation Contradiction: A 76-page internal affairs report dated March 1, 2012, determined that Pike’s use of pepper spray was “reasonable under the circumstances” — a finding that directly contradicted the Reynoso Task Force’s conclusion of “objectively unreasonable” force. This produced two simultaneous and irreconcilable official findings from the same events.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: POST use-of-force standards; PC §13652 (annual use-of-force reporting); excessive force standard (4th Amendment, Graham v. Connor). Reynoso Task Force found Spicuzza’s actions “critically flawed” and department “very dysfunctional.” Lt. Pike’s termination for excessive force is the type of personnel action that, under applicable POST standards, would require reporting to the Commission. Whether that reporting occurred has not been independently verified in available public records.

Reported to POST/DOJ? PARTIALLY DOCUMENTED — Reynoso Task Force report published April 11, 2012. Kroll investigation completed. Internal affairs completed. DA investigation completed. Whether Pike’s termination for excessive force was formally reported to POST as required is not independently verified in available records. Spicuzza’s retirement before investigation completion may have prevented sustained findings from reaching POST.

A protester’s arrest resulted in a settlement between the plaintiff and the county/UC Davis. The plaintiff’s attorney characterized the police actions in this earlier case as “foreshadowing” of the November 18, 2011 pepper spray incident. The specific settlement dollar amount was not publicly reported.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: POST use-of-force standards; 42 U.S.C. §1983 (civil rights); 4th Amendment. The attorney’s characterization suggests a pattern of excessive force predating the 2011 incident.

Reported to POST/DOJ? UNKNOWN — Settlement terms are confidential. Whether the underlying use-of-force incident was reported to POST is not documented in available records.

Chief Carmichael established the Police Accountability Board (PAB) as a signature post-pepper-spray reform following recommendations of the Reynoso Task Force. The PAB was described as “the first civilian oversight board established at a major research university.” Its first public session was held in October 2014. The PAB structure was subsequently adopted system-wide by UC, and all 10 UC campuses now have PABs.

Documented Limitation: The PAB’s bylaws explicitly provide that the Chief of Police retains “full and final authority” over complaint disposition. The PAB’s sustain rate on investigated allegations through 2021 was documented at 15% — a figure that has been cited in academic and journalistic reviews of the board’s effectiveness.

On the third anniversary of the pepper spray incident, several hundred students (reported range: 200–600) rallied on the exact Quad location where the spraying occurred and marched to Mrak Hall. Chancellor Katehi stood on the front steps and engaged directly with protesters. Approximately 20 students spent the night inside Mrak Hall. FOX40 reported: “During Tuesday’s rally and march, no campus police officers could be seen.” Zero arrests were made. Zero force was used.

On November 19, students briefly reoccupied Mrak Hall. On November 24, approximately 300 students walked out, occupied a Bank of America branch on campus, and marched through Olsen Hall — again with zero police confrontation.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: First Amendment assembly rights. The deliberate non-enforcement strategy represents an institutional response to the 2011 crisis. POST training standards on protest response de-escalation.

Reported to POST/DOJ? N/A — No force used, no arrests made. No reporting obligation triggered. Included to document the post-pepper-spray institutional transformation in protest response methodology.

An African American alumnus was forcibly detained by UC Davis police at a 24-hour study room on campus. The incident fueled Black Lives Matter activism on campus during a period when Davis Stands with Ferguson had been demanding UC divestment from private prisons and disarmament of campus police. A November 3, 2015 protest marched past the UCDPD building. All protests during this period ended without arrests.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: POST standards on bias-based policing; RIPA/AB 953 (data collection not yet in effect at time of incident). PC §13519.4 (racial profiling prohibition).

Reported to POST/DOJ? UNKNOWN — No public investigation outcome located. Whether use-of-force during the detention was reported to POST is not documented.

Two police officers were hospitalized after an attack by a “hostile” crowd on Russell Boulevard during Picnic Day festivities. A man was arrested for brandishing a loaded firearm. A crowd was caught on video vandalizing a woman’s car. A drive-by shooting between two vehicles was reported near campus. Off-campus parties drew up to 1,000 people and required 40 officers to disperse.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: POST use-of-force reporting (officer assaults); Clery Act (weapons violations, assaults); PC §13652 (annual use-of-force). Officer assault incidents of this nature are among the categories that may trigger POST use-of-force reporting and Clery Act reporting obligations, subject to the specific statutory criteria applicable at the time of the incident.

Reported to POST/DOJ? UNKNOWN — Whether officer hospitalization incidents were individually reported to POST is not documented in available records.

Three stabbings occurred in one week in the City of Davis, including the murder of UC Davis student Karim Abou Najm. Chief Farrow led the police response. City-wide shelter-in-place orders were issued. Suspect Carlos Dominguez was subsequently arrested and charged. The investigation involved intensive multi-agency coordination.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: Clery Act (timely warning/emergency notification for campus-adjacent violence affecting campus community); mutual aid coordination documentation; POST standards on major crime response.

Reported to POST/DOJ? N/A — Appears properly handled. Chief Farrow’s crisis response was publicly documented. Included for institutional context and leadership record documentation.

A Turning Point USA event at UC Davis resulted in window-smashing, fighting with police, and two arrests. One officer was injured when jumped from behind during the enforcement action.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: POST use-of-force reporting (officer injured during arrest); Clery Act (campus violence, arrests); PC §13652 (annual use-of-force reporting).

Reported to POST/DOJ? UNKNOWN — Whether the officer injury and use of force during arrests were individually reported to POST is not documented in available records.

The UC Davis Gaza solidarity encampment, organized by Davis Popular University for the Liberation of Palestine (UCD PULP) on the Memorial Union Quad, became one of the longest-lasting pro-Palestinian encampments in the national wave of 2024 campus protests — lasting 45 days, more than double the duration of UC Berkeley’s 22-day encampment. The encampment grew from approximately 20 tents at its inception to dozens of tents with approximately 200 participants at peak activity. The five stated demands were: (1) divestment, (2) Koret program cancellation, (3) Palestine studies investment, (4) full amnesty for participants, and (5) Chancellor May’s resignation from the Leidos corporate board.

Police made zero arrests during the entire 45-day period. No use of force was employed. No mutual aid agencies were summoned. Police maintained communication through Student Affairs. The encampment ended voluntarily on June 20, 2024. In his June 20 statement, Chancellor May wrote that “students remained peaceful throughout the encampment and de-escalated challenging situations.” However, organizers (PULP) accused UC Office of the President of blocking any formal written agreement.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: AB 48 — no crowd-control weapons were used, so no AB 48 reporting was triggered. First Amendment assembly rights. Clery Act (campus safety reporting). This encampment was a distinct event from the May 24, 2024 weapons discharge incident (documented separately below).

Reported to POST/DOJ? N/A — No force used, no arrests made. No reporting obligation triggered. UC Davis’s zero-arrest outcome stands in documented contrast to other UC campus responses: UCLA (~210 arrests), UCSD (64–65 arrests), UCSC (~80 arrests), UCI (47 arrests).

During the encampment period, a UC Davis police officer unintentionally discharged his service weapon during the arrest of three vandalism suspects who had been spray-painting buildings and campus “Egghead” sculptures with pro-Palestinian messages. The three suspects identified in records are: Lysandra Dasilva, 31; Nathan Orr, 30; and Cheyenne Xiong, 20, a UC Davis student. No one was injured as a result of the discharge.

Defense attorneys subsequently introduced body camera footage into criminal proceedings, describing it as showing the officer firing at one fleeing suspect — and characterizing the event as “a 20-year-old junior at UC Davis being hunted down and shot at by campus police” for alleged spray-painting. This characterization represents the advocacy position of defense counsel as presented in criminal proceedings and does not constitute a judicial finding of fact. The Yolo County District Attorney filed felony charges; a judge later dismissed the grand jury indictment; the DA continued pursuing charges into late 2025. Chief Farrow referred the discharge incident to the Police Accountability Board.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: POST reporting: firearm discharge by an officer is a POST-reportable event. PC §13652 (use-of-force reporting). AB 748 (body camera footage disclosure requirements — footage confirmed to exist per defense attorneys). OIS reporting protocols (though no person was struck). Yolo County DA involvement is documented.

Reported to POST/DOJ? PARTIALLY DOCUMENTED — Chief Farrow’s referral to PAB is documented. Whether the weapons discharge was formally reported to POST as required by law is not independently verified. Body camera footage exists but its disclosure status under AB 748 timelines is unknown from available records.

Filed by a disabled veteran alleging that the Gaza solidarity encampment violated ADA accessibility requirements as well as First and 14th Amendment rights. Outcome pending as of February 2026.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: ADA (42 U.S.C. §12101 et seq.); First Amendment; 14th Amendment Equal Protection; 42 U.S.C. §1983.

Status: PENDING — Case outcome not resolved as of February 2026.

Approximately 40 masked protesters, believed to be affiliated with Cops Off Campus, confronted a Turning Point USA “Prove Me Wrong” tabling event featuring conservative commentator Brandon Tatum. Protesters pulled down the tent, destroyed camera equipment, and assaulted attendees. Beth Bourne (a UC Davis employee) was struck with an umbrella and punched. Timothy Blank was struck in the face twice.

UC Davis police formed a perimeter but made no arrests at the scene, taking only two assault reports. Chancellor May publicly condemned the violence as “appalling.” Felony charges were subsequently filed in November 2025: Joanna Clara Sodke, 22, was charged with felony conspiracy to commit a riot and misdemeanor battery (arraigned November 14, 2025, $10,000 bail). Chloe Love Peterson, 22, was charged with felony conspiracy and misdemeanor battery. Critics noted the ironic contrast between the 2011 department’s excessive force during peaceful protest and the 2025 department’s failure to arrest during active assault.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: Clery Act (timely warning for violent crime occurring on campus); POST use-of-force standards; PC §404/404.6 (riot); PC §242 (battery). The question of whether the failure to make arrests at the scene of violent crime in progress constitutes a POST-reviewable policy failure is not addressed in available public records.

Reported to POST/DOJ? UNKNOWN — No public record of POST review for failure to arrest during active assault. Charges were filed 7+ months after the incident. Whether a Clery timely warning was issued for the assault is not independently verified in available records.

A shooting occurred at Community Park during a gathering hosted by UC Davis fraternity Phi Beta Sigma featuring rapper Haiti Babii. Three people were shot with non-life-threatening injuries. Children and Little League families were present and exposed to gunfire. Suspect Joseph Allen Davis, 19, was arrested on May 23, 2025, on federal charges. He had fired an “AR-15-style pistol.” 57 officers responded; 321 calls for service were recorded in a 24-hour period. Davis City Council unanimously formed a Picnic Day safety subcommittee. Major 2026 policy changes followed: a full prohibition on special event permits and doubled police staffing for the event.

Applicable Law / Reporting Requirement: Clery Act (timely warning/emergency notification for campus-adjacent shooting); POST reporting requirements for firearm incident response; federal firearms charges indicate ATF/FBI coordination and documentation.

Reported to POST/DOJ? UNKNOWN — Whether UC Davis PD issued a proper Clery timely warning and filed all required POST reports is not independently verified in available records. Federal charges indicate documented ATF/FBI coordination.