Smyly was allowed to resign, and is likely working for another department at this time. They left after determining that Atkinson had a right to be on the property. In a statement released on Thursday, The city of Boulder announced that an investigation found that Smyly violated two police department policies: Boulder Police Officer John Smyly was one of several cops who confronted student Zayd Atkinson as he gathered garbage in his yard on March 1. KATHLEEN FOODY. Learn more about John S.'s . {mosads}While the finding likely would have resulted in suspension or possibly termination, Officer Smyly resigned prior to the conclusion of the disciplinary process, the statement said. Mr. Rathod is correct. 411 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[400 19]/Info 399 0 R/Length 74/Prev 280568/Root 401 0 R/Size 419/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream The exchange between Officer Smyly and Mr. Atkinson does not represent the professionalism of the Boulder Police Department nor the community Boulder desires to be, City Attorney Tom Carr said in a statement to the newspaper. More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. On the video, Atkinson responds by shouting: Thats a gun! 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.Body camera footage released Thursday provided a full video account of the tense encounter, which gained national attention based on video shot by someone inside the building. He did not mention the incident in his resignation letter. Embattled NC sheriff resigns again before DA details accusations against him in court. hb```*f What Smyly did should have incurred harsher charges but here we are. "I need to verify who you are," Smyly says. All Rights Reserved. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. Shop Our Favorite February Amazon Deals Before the Sales End, The 14 Best Mineral Sunscreens of 2023, According to Pros, 14 TikTok-Famous Cleaning Products That Actually Work, According to Our Experts, 14 Best Healthier Candy Alternatives of 2023, According to Taste Tests. He will be on the city payroll until February 2020. 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. We do urge caution as this video could trigger some. }, 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. 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. 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 . The independent review, conducted by former U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, Bob Troyer, will soon be released by the city. The Boulder police officer who confronted a black Naropa student picking up trash outside his residence in March was . He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. It was a frightening experience. Im picking up trash, and youre holding a gun!. (Siddhartha Rathod via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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.. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . Smyly attempted to detain Atkinson, a student at Naropa University in Boulder, asking him to prove he lived on the property. We would immediately lose our jobs.. More from The Latest Hip-Hop News, Music and Media | Hip-Hop Wired, Your email will be shared with hiphopwired.com and subject to its, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Loses Reelection Bid, Larsa Pippen Shares She Hung Out With Her Beaus Dad Michael Jordan, Dreamville & Daily Paper Launch Dream Daily Collection. After about eight minutes, more Boulder police officers arrive and form a loose half circle around Atkinson. 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. All Rights Reserved. window.addEventListener( 'loadOrInteraction', function() { My life right now is kind of restless, unsettled, he said. He then begins commands for the student to sit down on the pavement . 2 Followers, 0 Following, 1 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from John Smyly (@reformed_cop) Though National Geographic may have named Boulder the happiest city in America in 2017, that description is more true for some residents than others, the filmmakers argue. Atkinson refused then picked up the bucket and tool and walked away. "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. Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof. A big reason why I got into film and video is because of the storytelling aspect, said Miller. When Zayde Atkinson refuses, Smyly threatens to . Stop!. Boulder police launch an internal investigation after a video surfaces showing officers confronting an African American man picking up trash in Boulder, Colorado. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Police body camera footage released Thursday provided a full video account of the tense encounter, which had gained national attention based on video shot by someone inside a student dormitory at Naropa University, a liberal arts school associated with Buddhism in the city of Boulder. In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd Atkinson poses for a photo. Trump successfully chilled FBI from being willing to investigate anything Christie: Trump grand jury foreperson did a lot of damage to case, Bill Maher: I am afraid of Trump on a very personal level. Stop!. While we have no proof racial bias was a motivating factor, the internal affairs investigation resulted in sustained violations of police policies.. More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. 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. As part of his resignation agreement, Smyly will officially end his employment with Boulder on Feb. 9, 2020 after using his accrued floating holiday leave, sick and permitted administrative leave. Atkinsons attorney, Siddhartha Rathod, said he thinks Smyly is getting off too easy. My life right now is kind of restless, unsettled, he said. Atkinsons behavior reportedly led Smyly to radio for backup because the resident was being uncooperative and unwilling to put down a blunt object, a police statement obtained by ABC News said. Youre gonna shoot a resident on his property for picking up trash?, Smyly drew his gun when the two men reached the back of the building, an investigative summary said. 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. Im picking up trash and youre holding a gun!After about eight minutes, more Boulder police officers arrive and form a loose half circle around Atkinson.One officer can be seen holding a rifle; the investigative summary says the weapon fires bean bags. Advertisement. Now, 15 years later, Miller is once again using documentary film as a vehicle for social change. 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. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. "If you or I did what Officer Smyly did to Zayd Atkinson, not only would we be immediately fired, we would be criminally prosecuted. covers a variety of topics including breaking news, politics, Hip-Hop music and culture, fashion, and Black history. 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. City officials said the investigation could not prove that the officer, John Smyly, acted because of Zayd Atkinsons race. On the video, Atkinson responds by shouting: Thats a gun! Smylys resignation comes more than two months after he and other officers confronted Atkinson,a student at Naropa University, at the patio area of his apartment, according to ABC News. Smyly resigned on May 15, before the conclusion of the disciplinary process. However, Smyly resigned before the investigation concluded. The confrontation between Smyly and Atkinsonsparked massive backlash in the community. 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.. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. 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. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . On the video, Atkinson responds by shouting: Thats a gun! He is likely employed at a different police department at this time. By Breanna . On body-camera footage the city released Thursday, Atkinson can be heard saying, Im a student, I live here Im doing my job.. Colorado police confront man picking up trash on his lawn. The Boulder City Council has also created a task force to study police oversight. 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. "The subject officer did not have probable cause to charge Mr Atkinson with any crime.". The officer "did not have authority to detain Mr Atkinson", the department wrote in their report. The city said that an investigation did not find evidence of racial profiling. Police body camera footage released Thursday . How many strikeouts did John Smiley have? Boulder PD releases body camera footage, reports. CU ecologists are tracking down the surviving trees of the Front Ranges all but vanished apple orchards and priming a renewal. Atkinson said he did, and Smyly asked for identification with the address on it. In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd Atkinson poses for a photo. One officer drew his handgun when he arrived but reholstered it in less than a minute, while Smyly had his gun out until Atkinson put the trash-grabbing tool down, according to the summary. Police body camera footage released . Based on the investigation, the Boulder Police Department will start additional training on de-escalation efforts for officers. Mr Smyly attempted to detain Mr Atkinson . Smyly is resigning but will "exhaust" his paid leave. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Officer Smyly got his attention and asked him to stop. 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 . When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smyly escalates the situation. 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. Officer John Smyly. He is not allowed to be reinstated to the Boulder Police Department. City Attorney Tom Carr said firing Smyly would have led to a drawn-out appeal and potentially allowed him to keep his job. 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