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Oakland Civil Rights Attorney Calls UC Davis Pepper Spray Incident 'Brutal'

OAKLAND (KCBS)— While the UC Davis police pepper-spraying caught on video of peaceful Occupy protesters has sparked calls for a general strike Monday on campus, opinions still aren't unanimous as to whether force should have been used.

The incident has spurred a national debate on just how potentially dangerous pepper spray can be.

KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:

In California anyone can buy pepper spray and it's comprised of the same chemical that makes chili peppers hot, but the concentrations in the spray are higher.

Oakland civil-rights attorney John Burris said he was shocked by the incident at Davis.

"[It's] the kind of thing that brings out the worst in visual images in police brutality and misconduct, Burris said adding that the officer accused actions were "woefully unnecessary."

Meanwhile, many in the law enforcement community claim pepper spray can be an effective tool.

UC President Mark Yudof is reported to have launched an investigation into what happened.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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