"I don't have a weapon! His first big break in journalism came with the now-defunct Politically Black in 1999, the nation's first Black political news portal. My life right now is kind of restless, unsettled, he said. 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. Smyly was allowed to resign, and is likely working for another department at this time. Judge says Starbucks committed egregious and widespread labor violations Zero-calorie sweetener popular in keto diets linked to strokes, heart attacks, Trumps polling strength causes heartburn for Senate GOP, Senate group wades into tough talks on Social Security, China, Belarus call for cease-fire, negotiations in Ukraine. The Boulder police officer who confronted a black Naropa student picking up trash outside his residence in March was . 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 . After Atkinson said he did, Smyly asked for identification with the address on it. Smyly next asked for Atkinsons date of birth. Atkinson's attorney, Denver-based civil rights attorney Siddhartha Rathod, said that Boulder was using taxpayer dollars to reward Smyly for racially profiling his client and putting Atkinson in fear for his life. Colorado police officer John Smyly who pulled his gun on Zayd Atkinson, a student at Naropa University picking up trash in front of his apartment building, has resigned. When Zayde Atkinson refuses, Smyly threatens to tase him. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . Supervised 25 different police officer trainees, evaluating job performance and developing training plans to encourage professional growth and improve deficiencies. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WYFF-TV. 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 . All Rights Reserved. Boulder PD releases body camera footage, reports. (Facebook . The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. He did not mention the incident in his resignation letter. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. 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. Boulder officials conducted an investigation of the March incident of officer John Smyly confronting Zayd Atkinson outside his home. "The subject officer did not have probable cause to charge Mr Atkinson with any crime.". Police body camera footage released Thursday . hb```*f Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. That morning, John Smyly, a Boulder police officer, was driving around the area of Folsom Street and . ", US police detain black man picking rubbish, Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. "If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. @O $6(|a*P`t@dLYYo&$ ()lTA johhUCWLe8*%BsS@35,\4'Jaqm>$BlvR6 We do not know the motive of the officer on why he approached this black man. KATHLEEN FOODY. John Smyly, a former Boulder Colorado Police officer detains a man, Zayde Atkinson with no RAS. 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 . 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. Smyly was conducting extra patrols due to recent crime in the area when he encountered Atkinson with an unknown object in his left hand, according to a summary of the probe released by Boulder police Chief Greg Testa. Zayd Atkinson was picking up trash in his front yard in the 2300 block of Arapahoe Avenue about 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 1, when Smyly, a 14-year veteran of the department with no background of . How many strikeouts did John Smiley have? I found this video of John Smyly, whom I met personally in Japan in 2003 and dont think hes a racist, reason why I decided to make this video. 'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.async=true;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs'); Featuring historical context and emotional interviews with present-day Black residents of Boulder including children and teens grappling with racist bullies at school This Is [Not] Who We Are shows another side of a city that views itself as progressive. Smyly . The subject officer should have ended his contact with Mr. Atkinson as soon as Mr. Atkinson provided his name, address and a brief explanation of what he was doing, the report read. Atkinson responded by showing the officer his school identification card and telling him that he lived there. More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. Famous Women Caught With Busted Up Feet [Photos], LL Cool J Explains The Meaning Of Pink Cookies In A Plastic Bag On Drink Champs, Toxic Avengers: Blueface Leaks Alleged Texts From Lil Baby To Chrisean Rock, 15 Music Stars Who Had Disturbing Relationships With Their Entourages [Photos], Twitter Reacts To Will Smith Joking About Chris Rock Slap In New Tik Tok Video, Brandon Smiley Laid To Rest Over The Weekend, Rickey Smiley Shares Photos & Videos, BET Uncut Is Not Coming Back; Here's Its 15 Wildest Videos Anyway, Finger Struggle: Celebrities With Crazy Looking Hands [Photos]. 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. 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. 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. View the profiles of people named John Smyly. Atkinson, 26, said he believes Smyly should have been fired immediately. On the video, Atkinson responds by shouting: Thats a gun! More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. Put that down, Smyly said on the tape. October 1, 2020. And then you make it beautiful, you hope, so that lots of people are moved by it and want to engage with it. Boulder Police Department's investigation found Mr Smyly had violated the department's rules on police authority, public trust and conduct. The City of Boulder concluded the investigation into a March 1, 2019 incident involving an encounter between Zayd Atkinson and Boulder Police officers. I didnt know what else to do besides, you know, to fight with my voice and to practice my rights, which were thoroughly being breached., THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. 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. CU ecologists are tracking down the surviving trees of the Front Ranges all but vanished apple orchards and priming a renewal. Mr. Rathod is correct. "That means you can do whatever you want and break the law and get away with it.". Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof. The film "This Is Not Who We Are" includes the testimonials of several black Boulder . When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smy. 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. 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. One officer can be seen holding a rifle; the investigative summary says the weapon fires bean bags. My life right now is kind of restless, unsettled, he said. On March 1 st, 2019, Officer John Smyly was conducting patrols when he saw Atkinson seated on a bench of the building that said "private property."Smyly approaches Atkinson as he sits on the bench to ask if he resides in the building. 400 0 obj <> endobj Carr, the city attorney, said the resignation agreement allowed the city to provide the community information more quickly, and it transitioned Officer Smyly out of a law enforcement career. The citys bargaining agreement with police officers requires an appeal for any disciplinary action and could have allowed Smyly to return to duty, he added. 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.. 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. Colorado police confront man picking up trash on his lawn. Now, the creators are fielding requests to screen the film in Boulder and beyond; theyre also creating accompanying study guides to help people understand and discuss the themes depicted in the film. Published: May. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. "Boulder is essentially saying, 'We're going to pay this officer and let him resign for threatening Zayd's life, for racially profiling Zayd,'" Rathod told The Associated Press. The city on Thursday announced the settlement but did not include the terms in a news release. D.L. We have concluded this hire was not helpful to our equity work, and I wish . But an independent review of the confrontation found no impropriety in the procedures . All Rights Reserved. }, 2000 ) } ); 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. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. When demonstrators took to the . Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, 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, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Explosive found in check-in luggage at US airport, Fungus case forces Jack Daniels to halt construction, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. Associated Press / May 17, 2019. The independent review, conducted by former U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, Bob Troyer, will soon be released by the city. In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd Atkinson poses for a photo. The student's lawyer, Siddhartha Rathod, told local newspaper the Denver Post that he was disappointed Mr Smyly had not been fired and would still be paid. Investigators also determined that a person overheard on the footage telling Atkinson that he was likely racially profiled was a Naropa employee and not one of the responding officers. He said he has had trouble sleeping since and spends time outdoors or with friends to calm him.My life right now is kind of restless, unsettled, he said.Carr, the city attorney, said the resignation agreement allowed the city to provide the community information more quickly, and it transitioned Officer Smyly out of a law enforcement career. The citys 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 could not prove that Smyly acted because of Atkinsons race. Shortly before 8:30 a.m. on that day, Officer John Smyly spotted Atkinson sitting in a partially enclosed patio area directly behind a "Private Property" sign and spoke to him to find out if he . 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. Mr Smyly attempted to detain Mr Atkinson . On Thursday morning, the city of Boulder announced the investigation had closed and the officer, who had already resigned, had not racially profiled the man. : Thats a gun was not helpful to our equity work, and is likely working another! 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