Watch live: White House monkeypox response team holds briefing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. covers a variety of topics including breaking news, politics, Hip-Hop music and culture, fashion, and Black history. "If they don't have the ability to terminate racist officers, that's Boulder's problem not taxpayers' problem," Rathod said, pointing to new data that showed black and African-American people in Boulder were more than twice as likely to be arrested during a routine police stop than their white counterparts. Smyly, a 14-year vet with no history of . At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Recordings emerged of Greene referring to deputies in his department as "Black bastards" and "snakes.". Smyly asked for Atkinsons date of birth. Boulder is essentially saying were going to pay this officer and let him resign for threatening Zayds life, for racially profiling Zayd, said Atkinsons attorney, Siddhartha Rathod. May 16, 2019, 9:54 PM. The shepherd boy, the wolf and the threat to Israeli democracy. D.L. Read about our approach to external linking. One officer can be seen holding a rifle; the investigative summary says the weapon fires bean bags. The Boulder City Council has also created a task force to study police oversight. Smyly reportedly asked Atkinson if he was permitted to be at the location. To make matters worse, Smyly gets to chill at home with pay until Feb. 9 of next year while Atkinson says hes been plagued with anxiety by way of the trauma of the exchange. They left after determining that Atkinson had a right to be on the property. Youre gonna shoot a resident on his property for picking up trash?, An investigative summary said Smyly drew his gun when the two men reached the back of the building. He resigned before a disciplinary process commenced. The City of Boulder concluded the investigation into a March 1, 2019 incident involving an encounter between Zayd Atkinson and Boulder Police officers. Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. A Colorado police officer who detained a black man picking up trash in his yard is resigning after being found in violation of department policies. Its a facilitation. John Smiley had 1,284 strikeouts over his career. The incident happened on March 1 on the 2300 block of Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder. Miller, along with Beret Strong (Engl83) and John Tweedy (Engl82), are sparking important conversations about race and inclusion with their film This Is [Not] Who We Are, which explores the disconnect between Boulder's self-proclaimed commitment to diversity and Black residents lived experiences. Smyly was allowed to resign, and is likely working for another department at this time. John Smyly questioned and followed Naropa University student Zayd . "That just pisses me off that my tax money is going there to this guy to hang out for a year after breaking the law and breaching my rights," Atkinson said. This is a bucket. Under a settlement with the department, Mr Smyly will stay on the city payroll until February 2020. 2 Followers, 0 Following, 1 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from John Smyly (@reformed_cop) Boulder Police Department's investigation found Mr Smyly had violated the department's rules on police authority, public trust and conduct. I thought that once the firearm was out that that meant that he was going to try to kill me, Atkinson said. As part of an agreement, hell remain an employee through February and earn roughly $69,000 in salary for unused holiday and sick time, officials said. On the video, Atkinson responds by shouting: Thats a gun! At one point, eight police officers were surrounding Atkinson, but they eventually left after confirming Atkinson did indeed live in the building as he claimed. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. We would immediately lose our jobs.. Boulder, CO 80309-0459, University of Colorado Boulder Regents of the University of Colorado Police body camera footage released . Atkinson was picking up trash outside his dormitory when a white police officer in Boulder, Colo., detained him in March 2019. %PDF-1.6 % Atkinson refused then picked up the bucket and tool and walked away.Put that down, Smyly said on the tape. He said he has had trouble sleeping since and spends time outdoors or with friends to calm him. When Zayde continues to refuse to be John Smyly's b****, Smyly brandished a fire arm to try to further intimidate his victim into compliance. City council is set to approve the payout during a special Monday night meeting, the only non . When demonstrators took to the streets to show support for Atkinson and protest racism, the filmmakers grabbed their cameras and got to work. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. The officer, John Smyly, was identified Thursday as the 14-year department veteran seen in a 16-minute video posted to YouTube after confronting Zayd Atkinson outside a Naropa University dorm in Boulder on March 1, the Boulder Daily Camera reports. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with . Im not tryi. (Siddhartha Rathod via AP) 1 of 2. This is a clamp.. The man he tried to bully and intimidate, Zayde Atkinson, NEVER gave in. D.L. DENVER A white Colorado police officer who pulled out his gun during a confrontation with a black man picking up trash around his dormitory resigned this week under an agreement that lets him . May 17, 2019, 6:17 AM PDT. Oyeneyin was handcuffed and detained in his own home after police responded to a burglar alarm in process. He currently heads the SPIRIT.ED column for Cassius Life, which focuses on adult beverages and their history. "The subject officer did not have probable cause to charge Mr Atkinson with any crime.". Smyly approached Atkinson on March 1 in front of the condo-style building, where he was using a metal tool with a claw at its base to put trash into a bucket, according to the new footage. Smyly resigned on May 15, before the conclusion of the disciplinary process. "I will not sit down, I refuse to sit down, until you guys put your (expletive) weapons away," Atkinson said. (Facebook . "If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. Atkinsons attorney, Siddhartha Rathod, said he thinks Smyly is getting off too easy. He said Boulder either lacks the ability or will to root out racism from this police department. In a statement, City Attorney Tom Carr said firing the officer, John Smyly, would have led to a drawn-out appeal and potentially allowed him to keep his job. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. City officials said the investigation could not prove that Smyly acted because of Atkinsons race. Atkinson refused, then picked up the bucket and tool and walked away. A white Colorado police officer who confronted a black man picking up trash around his dormitory resigned this week under an agreement that lets him collect $69,000 in salary despite violating department policies. This is a bucket! Police body camera footage released Thursday . We would immediately lose our jobs.In a statement, City Attorney Tom Carr said firing the officer, John Smyly, would have led to a drawn-out appeal and potentially allowed him to keep his job.Under the agreement, Smyly resigned his police role May 9 but will remain an employee through February without performing any work. One of the officers involved in the latter scenario, John Smyly, resigned from the BPD earlier this month. While we have no proof racial bias was a motivating factor, the internal affairs investigation resulted in sustained violations of police policies.. Im picking up trash! DENVER (AP) A white Colorado police officer who pulled out his gun during a confrontation with a black man picking up trash around his dormitory resigned this week under an agreement that lets him collect $69,000 in salary despite violating department policies. Simon and Sally Glass say findings vindicate their belief that their son was murdered by Clear Creek County sheriff's deputies. %%EOF Mr. Rathod is correct. The officer "did not have authority to detain Mr Atkinson", the department wrote in their report. . Police body camera footage released Thursday provided a full video account of . Department rule 8 (Conduct): Members use reasonable judgment and refrain from conduct which reflects unfavorably on the department. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. According to the summary, one officer drew his handgun when he arrived but re-holstered it in less than a minute while Smyly had his gun out until Atkinson put the trash-grabbing tool down.The report released with the video footage said Smyly had no authority to detain Atkinson or probable cause to charge him with any crime and should have left once Atkinson provided his name, address and his reason for being there.Atkinson, 26, said he believes Smyly should have been fired immediately. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Atkinson also told ABC Newss Good Morning America in April that hes been struggling with stress and trauma since the encounter. John Smyly was found in violation of department policies and resigned in May 2019 after an internal investigation into Smyly's encounter with Zayd Atkinson in Boulder on March 1, 2019. D.L. BOULDER, Colo. One of the Boulder police officers who confronted a black man as he was picking up trash in his yard has been found to be in violation of department policies and has resigned . Watch: Police confront black man in his own yard. ABC News noted that other officers arrived on the scene soon after. An attorney for Atkinson called the agreement with the city of Boulder ridiculous.Boulder is essentially saying, 'Were going to pay this officer and let him resign for threatening Zayds life, for racially profiling Zayd,' attorney Siddhartha Rathod said. When Zayde Atkinson refuses, Smyly threatens to tase him. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. Check out footage of the exchange between Smyly and Atkinson. John Smyly, a former police officer in the city of Boulder, Colo., will not face harsh penalties after he racially profiled, harassed, and threatened a Black man doing a good deed in his community . Thats what youre gonna do officer? In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd Atkinson poses for a photo. Smyly drew his Taser and followed Atkinson to the back of the building, repeatedly telling him to sit down on the ground and put the weapon down, referring to the trash tool. Atkinson, 26, said he believes Smyly should have been fired immediately. Smyly, who had been on paid leave since the tense encounter, was found in violation of two department policies but resigned his post before the end of the citys disciplinary process. Carr said investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WYFF-TV. endstream endobj startxref That morning, John Smyly, a Boulder police officer, was driving around the area of Folsom Street and . Film is the tool you can use to help other people say what they need to say, said Strong. Everyone really needs to open their eyes to all the truths of their community so we can fix it.. Atkinson echoed Rathod's remarks in an interview with Denver7. That footage only showed Zayd Atkinson holding a bucket and a tool for picking up trash as police officers surrounded him outside the dormitory for students at Naropa University, a liberal arts school associated with Buddhism. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. But the movie goes much deeper than this moment, exploring how Boulders earliest history made it nearly impossible for people of color to succeed in the idyllic city in the shadow of the Flatirons. John Smiley was a Pitcher. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . May 16, 2019 / 5:17 PM / CBS Colorado. A white Colorado police officer has resigned after being caught on video drawing his gun on a black man who said he was picking up trash at his property. TwoFeather. Mr. Atkinson turned, took out his ear buds, and asked what was going on. Your hand is on your weapon and youre gonna shoot me, Atkinson shouted. October 1, 2020. Advertisement. But an independent review of the confrontation found no impropriety in the procedures . "Boulder is paying this officer nearly $80,000 in taxpayer money, giving him a year's paid vacation for what he did," Rathod said, adding that if any other citizen had done what Smyly did, they would be fired from their job and charged criminally. Atkinson repeatedly said he had not done anything wrong. The report released with the video footage said Smyly had no authority to detain Atkinson or probable cause to charge him with any crime and should have left once Atkinson provided his name, address and his reason for being there. The findings likely would have resulted in suspension or possible termination, according to the department. 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