Atkinson can be seen holding a bucket and a metal trash grabber. Officer John Smyly was allowed to resign. 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.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. Despite the documentarys bleak outlook, the filmmakers remain optimistic, due in large part to the positive reception of the film so far. endstream endobj startxref Call and let them know that by hiring officers who have a history of racial profiling, they are contributing to the racist culture of policing. Atkinson, who is black and said after the incident that he felt he was racially profiled, showed Smyly, who is white, his student identification card, but the officer said he needed needed further proof. The incident happened on March 1 on the 2300 block of Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder. And then you see if it can help galvanize dialogue and maybe some positive action., Photos stills fromThis Is Not Who We Are, Coloradan Magazine Follow @dlchandler123 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 . A police internal affairs report said that Smylys choice to detain Atkinson was not supported by reasonable suspicion that Mr. Atkinson was committing, had committed, or was about to commit a crime.. Maybe he got a suspicious call or saw something but things escalated. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. But an independent review of the confrontation found no impropriety in the procedures . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Based on the investigation, the Boulder Police Department will start additional training on de-escalation efforts for officers. We have concluded this hire was not helpful to our equity work, and I wish . Initially freelancing at iOne Digital in 2010, he officially joined the iOne team in 2017 where he currently works as a Senior Editor for Cassius Life and Hip-Hop Wired. Simon and Sally Glass say findings vindicate their belief that their son was murdered by Clear Creek County sheriff's deputies. City Attorney Tom Carr said firing Smyly would have led to a drawn-out appeal and potentially allowed him to keep his job. May 16, 2019, 9:54 PM. Recordings emerged of Greene referring to deputies in his department as "Black bastards" and "snakes.". He said he has had trouble sleeping and spends time outdoors or with friends to calm him. D.L. He has led this program for nine seasons, earning five bowl berths, and in 2018 guiding the team to its first appearance in the AP Top 25's final rankings in 22 years. The investigation report said that while Mr Smyly had not used racial language during the incident and had "specifically" told them his actions were not based on Mr Atkinson's race, the student had disagreed. He currently heads the SPIRIT.ED column for Cassius Life, which focuses on adult beverages and their history. Alumni Association Its a facilitation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. It's like Live PD, except actually live, and without the \"cops can do no wrong\" bias.music in this videoLove Is Blind (Instrumental Version) - Coma Svenssonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u78BBpHcz44Wasted Education - Blue Topazhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqmKzeeDj54 Officer Smyly . Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. Published: May. A police officer in Colorado has resigned after confronting a black student picking up rubbish outside his shared accommodation. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He did not mention the incident in his resignation letter. The police officer who pulled a gun on a man picking up trash outside his own home in Boulder, Colorado, has resigned, city officials said Thursday . A white Colorado police officer caught on video pulling a gun on a black man who was picking up trash outside his home has resigned, officials said Thursday. He will receive commensurate pay and benefits during that period and a single, lump sum payment for any accrued and unused vacation time when his employment officially ends Feb. 9. Carr said investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct. Kazeem Oyeneyin answers the door at his home in Raleigh, N.C., on Aug. 17. If you or I did what Officer Smyly did to Zayd Atkinson, not only would we be immediately fired, we would be criminally prosecuted, attorney Siddhartha Rathod told the newspaper. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. Atkinson repeats he's provided his identification but Smyly wants more proof. By Ben Kesslen. 2 Followers, 0 Following, 1 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from John Smyly (@reformed_cop) Stop!. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. His first big break in journalism came with the now-defunct Politically Black in 1999, the nation's first Black political news portal. Youre probably going to get tased in a second, because you have a weapon, Smyly told Atkinson before brandishing his handgun. Atkinson repeatedly said he had not done anything wrong.Your hand is on your weapon and youre gonna shoot me, Atkinson shouted. Smyly said he noticed Atkinson on the buildings rear patio and wanted to see if he lived or worked there. "I don't have a weapon! The city on Thursday announced the settlement but did not include the terms in a news release. City officials said the investigation could not prove that Smyly acted because of Atkinsons race. The city said that an investigation did not find evidence of racial profiling. "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. This is a bucket. 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. Put that down, Smyly said on the tape. Read about our approach to external linking. Smyly later said he believed his stun gun would be ineffective in subduing Atkinson because of the heavy coat he was wearing at the time, according to the report. John Smyly, a former Boulder Colorado Police officer detains a man, Zayde Atkinson with no RAS. 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. Zayd Atkinson, a student at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, was picking up garbage outside of his residence when officer John Smyly approached. The citizens of Boulder should be outraged that Boulder either doesnt have the ability or the will to fire this officer and root out discrimination from this police department., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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The officer, John Smyly, resigned with a severance package, as the City Council and community members were troubled by the incident. %PDF-1.6 % John Smiley had 1,284 strikeouts over his career. 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 . "I will not sit down, I refuse to sit down, until you guys put your (expletive) weapons away," Atkinson said. hbbd```b``>"gk`G`vd "Y rdle`bd`u$300 * The settlement allowed the city to provide the community information more quickly, and it transitioned Officer Smyly out of a law enforcement career, he said. Atkinson was picking up trash outside his dormitory when a white police officer in Boulder, Colo., detained him in March, 2019. It can be a great influencer, and Ive always known that there are certain issues in the world I want to address and the best medium to do that, for me, was film.. More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. Facebook gives people the power to share. Atkinson repeatedly said he had not done anything wrong. When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smy. However, Smyly resigned before the investigation concluded. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. Video of the incident from Smyly's body camera shows him detaining . They hope that after viewing the film, people will feel motivated to take action or start down a path of self-education, however they feel compelled to whether thats by joining the Boulder County branch of the NAACP, reading books on white privilege, having difficult conversations about race and ethnicity or something else entirely. Youre on my property with a gun in your hand, threatening to shoot me because Im picking up trash, Atkinson said. 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. Its hard to believe now, but there was a time when there was no Google in Boulder. City officials said the investigation could not prove that the officer, John Smyly, acted because of Zayd Atkinsons race. A police officer in Colorado has resigned after confronting a black student picking up rubbish outside his shared accommodation. Atkinson echoed Rathod's remarks in an interview with Denver7. Atkinson responded by showing the officer his school identification card and telling him that he lived there. Smyly then detained Atkinson for further investigation,which prompted Atkinson to grow frustrated. Investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police . 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