He lived in the dorm and was directly outside the building picking up the litter when he was approached by then-Boulder Police officer John Smyly. Atkinson said he did and gave Smyly his Naropa student ID. Smyly tells Atkinson, who is black, that he couldnt help but notice you just sitting on the patio behind this building there are signs for no trespassing. Atkinson says, I live here. Smyly says, Yeah I wasnt sure what you were doing if you live here or you work here it looks like youre working.. Mr Smyly called for backup because Mr Atkinson was "unwilling to put down a blunt object". This news doesnt write itself. A police officer in Colorado has resigned after confronting a black student picking up rubbish outside his shared accommodation. Body cam footage shows Sammie Lawrence, standing, filming a police encounter. I sure as hell want to make sure I keep this video fresh for years to come. And Smyly went to Sheriff's Dept and was terminated from Boulder Sheriff's. The. Atkinson was sitting in a partially enclosed. The incident occurred on March 1, 2019. I need to verify who you are, Smyly says. and help keep the future of Westword, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. The confrontation violated police procedure, an internal investigation found, and the responding offer resigned. Under a settlement with the department, Mr Smyly will stay on the city payroll until February 2020. Get your lieutenant over here., You have a dangerous object in your hand he says. John Smyly. Youre obstructing a police officer which is a jail-able offense, Smyly says. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, The Associated Press reports he will earn benefits and a salary during this time, The officer "did not have authority to detain Mr Atkinson", the department wrote in their report, US police accused of beating black officer, Bank calls police over black man's cheque, Mr Atkinson told local broadcaster CBS4 Denver, The student's lawyer, Siddhartha Rathod, told local newspaper the Denver Post that he was disappointed Mr Smyly had not been fired, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Eli Lilly caps monthly insulin costs in US at $35. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. John Smyly. If the appeals process took time, so be it. I go to school here. The facts here are simple: Smyly had a responsibility to leave Atkinson alone shortly after he first made contact. Why would you want someone like that on their team? Police have released several body camera videos that depict what happened that winter day at the dormitory where Zyad Atkinson lived. Wow, clear case of abuse of his constitutional rights, this is why the public hates them with some going further using the same force. Smyly tells him, Sit down or youre going to get tased in a second because you have a weapon. And he is now surrounded by police. Officer John Smyly resigned following the March 1 confrontation with Naropa University student Zayd Atkinson, who was picking up trash outside his home. Like we,ve nirmalized " GET ON THE GROUND NOW "! Covering City Council and Sundry, with flair, Friday, March 13, 2020 (Updated Monday, March 16). City Attorney Tom Carr told the AP the deal will avoid a long appeal process and provide closure to the community. Instead, by reaching this cozy deal, the city has shown its citizens that they are not its primary concern and that future misconduct will be tolerated. sit boy,sit". " The city of Boulder, Colorado has reached a settlement with one of its police officers over racial profiling accusations. Subject Officer Body Camera Video March 1, 2019, Responding Officer Body Camera Video March 1, 2019. Youre going to shoot me?, The cop says to Atkinson, referring to the litter tool, your hand is on your weapon are you going to shoot me a push gonna do if you use that weapon against me then yes that is a consideration. He says he wants to figure this out with Atkinson. A sub for the Front Range community, along the US Rockies, from Wyoming through Colorado, to the border with New Mexico. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); copyright 2023. Video of the incident from Smyly's body camera shows him. TOTAL WAN***S!! Smyly resigned prior to the conclusion of the disciplinary process, but police indicated the process likely would have resulted in suspension or termination. What, on a public sidewalk? 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. People named John Smyly. Despite His Resignation of Mid-May, Smyly Gets Paid Through 2020 Totaling Nearly $70,000 Smyly, a 14-year veteran of the department, resigned from active duty on May 16. These are the civilized racists, the refined racists who smooth talk you into submission, but who still have their finger on the trigger, as John did for countless minutes, because they are smart enough to know that the law without violence is not really the Law. Is that an Oops? John Smyly lost his police job. The accused is the victim. Responding Officer Body Camera Video March 1, 2019 from City of Boulder on Vimeo. Im outside picking up garbage., Smyly tells Atkinson this is your last chance Im detaining you on investigation for trespassing., I live here! Such is the case of Boulder, Colo., police officer John Smyly over his interaction with Zayd Atkinson on March 1st this year. James Freeman does first amendment audits, cop watching, cop blocking, and more. Officer Waylon Lolotai as seen in a March video shared by ZFG Videography, which was associated with a, Become a member to support the independent voice of Denver The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Love Is Blind (Instrumental Version) Coma Svensson Had Officer Smyly understood the law, the contact would have ended without trauma, the report read. Or mail cash/check/precious gemstones toP.O. Atkinson threatened to sue the city after several officers surrounded him on March 1, 2019, demanding that he put down the bucket and tool he was using to collect litter. How do feel? Officer Smyly drew his gun and called in backup during the confrontation in March. Most officers do difficult, dangerous work confronting unpleasant individuals. John Smyly was found in violation of department policies and resigned in May 2019 after an internal investigation into Smylys encounter with Zayd Atkinson in Boulder on March 1, 2019. "Put that down," Smyly said on the tape. Problem is people take the money and dont put these cops in jail. You cant do anything. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms. Officer John Smyly was among the Boulder Police Department members who rousted Naropa student Zayd Atkinson for picking up trash at his own home in March 2019. At this point, Smyly called in for a cover car and told Atkinson he was obstructing a police officer and was detaining him and investigating him for trespass. The interaction has lasted nearly eight minutes. I didnt do anything wrong. Black college student Zyad Atkinson, and hundreds of thousands who have seen the video, say otherwise. Aftermanyotherofficersarrived,Icontinuedtobedetaineduntilawhitefemalestudent,andawhiteemployeeoftheuniversityaffirmedwhatmyIDhadalreadyshown:Ibelongedthere. When did this change? "If you or I did what Officer Smyly did to Zayd Atkinson, not only would we be immediately fired, we would be criminally prosecuted. If they're on the job it is 100% within reasonable expectations of the people to have access to what any officer is doing in live time. | The J-Town Press, Cops get shut down. independent local journalism in Denver. Here, the PSU sergeant and command staff did not succumb to it., During the 16-minute standoff, multiple officers politely and calmly asked Mr. Atkinson to drop the trash grabber and sit down so they could talk, the report read. As part of a settlement with the city, Smyly remained under city employment until February as he exhausted accrued holiday, sick and administrative leave. "Stop!" He then told Atkinson that he was obstructing a police officer, "a jailable offense." Smyly later told Atkinson that he was being detained for trespassing. Instead, he followed Atkinson, threatening to tase the student because he was carrying a trash picker. Former officer John Smyly will continue to have an unblemished history with the Boulder Police Department. Under a settlement. The city added that Smyly resigned . The city's bargaining agreement with police officers requires an appeal for any disciplinary action and could have allowed Smyly to return to duty, he added.City officials said the investigation . The man he tried to bully and intimidate, Zayde Atkinson, NEVER gave in. Then, Smyly demands to know what Atkinsons date of birth is. Smyly approached Atkinson on March 1 in front of the condo-style . Im picking up trash on my property. but it can also be stressful. He claims weve had some stuff going on in the area. Role Resigned Director Date of birth March 1958 Appointed on 22 May 2017 Resigned on 10 March 2020 . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u78BBpHcz44, Wasted Education Blue Topaz I hope these officers hear his voice on repeat every time they fuck up. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. The City of Boulder concluded the investigation into a March 1, 2019 incident involving an encounter between Zayd Atkinson and Boulder Police officers. The first responsibility of the city is not to provide closure to its citizens, but rather to ensure the credible conduct of those in government service. A police internal affairs report obtained by ABC News shows Smyly's decision to attempt to detain Atkinson "was not supported by reasonable suspicion that Mr. Atkinson was committing, had. Twitter The situation continued to escalate as Smyly drew his stun gun, following Atkinson to the back of the building telling him to sit down and put down his weapon (aka the clamp). Boulder, Zayd Atkinson reach settlement over, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Boulder, Zayd Atkinson reach settlement over police confrontation, Drugmaker Eli Lilly announces dramatic cut in insulin prices, Coal Creek Meals on Wheels to hold events to raise funds, awareness, Defendant in Boulder peeping incidents pleads guilty, Police investigate another phone threat to Boulder High, Brought to you by Prairie Mountain Publishing, confronted by a police officer while picking up trash, Boulder police investigating overnight shooting, suspect still at large, Years later, Boulder officials look for compromise as affordable housing promise at former Fruehaufs site still unfulfilled, Colorado grocery stores can begin selling wine on Wednesday, Boulder County searching for overdue snowboarder outside Nederland, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Authors note: This story has been updated to reflect councils changing schedule. Spoiler: A just-released report backed up an internal affairs police investigation that found there was no racial profiling involved in this incident. Im just doing my job just making sure you belong here. Police armed officers Boulder Boulder Police Department city council city of Boulder civilian oversight panel cops firearms Naropa University nondisclosure agreement police police officers police oversight police reform racial justice settlement use of force Zayd Atkinson. City officials say this is the best option because the police department's collective bargaining agreement triggers a disciplinary appeal process, which they say would likely overturn Smyly's firing. Officers were able to talk to Atkinson and a Naropa employee who responded to the scene and confirmed Atkinson was a student and lived in the building. Smyly approached Atkinson on foot, and saw that he was using a long metal claw to pick up trash and put it in a bucket. Get bent ! That call was a knowing way for that cop to create extreme physical harm to that civilian. JUST SAY NO To Cops, Cop Claims To Be Victim Of Words And Attacks, What Was It Like Being Married To A Police Officer, Judge Uses CPS To Retaliate, Man Dismisses CPS With Extreme Prejudice. As part of his cushy deal he will be paid for accrued floating holiday leave, sick leave, and be permitted administrative leave until Feb. 9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqmKzeeDj54 We have been engaged in race equity training and discussions and are committed to continuing those efforts and working with county staff on whatever tools might help us in those efforts. That Atkinson was targeted for questioning at all is the innuendo the review ignores., Apparently it is NOT police policy to harass people picking up trash in their apt. Former Boulder police officer John Smyly Smyly resigned prior to the conclusion of the disciplinary process, but police indicated the process likely would have resulted in suspension or. The city of Boulder said in a statement Thursday that officer John Smyly violated multiple department policies when he confronted Zayd Atkinson, 26, in March. 1st amendment audit fail, Youre Making Members Feel Uncomfortable & Im Here To Make Sure You Dont Do That Says PastorBob. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox.

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