On March 1, 2019, back when few mainstream politicians used the term "systemic racism" while discussing law enforcement aimed at people of color, Boulder Police officer John Smyly starred in a . covers a variety of topics including breaking news, politics, Hip-Hop music and culture, fashion, and Black history. Officer Smyly got his attention and asked him to stop. 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. Atkinson can be seen holding a bucket and a metal trash grabber. Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof. John Smyly questioned and followed Naropa University student Zayd . 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 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. Investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct, the city attorney said. A big reason why I got into film and video is because of the storytelling aspect, said Miller. 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. Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof.Smyly next 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. "I need to verify who you are," Smyly says. His first big break in journalism came with the now-defunct Politically Black in 1999, the nation's first Black political news portal. A police officer in Colorado has resigned after confronting a black student picking up rubbish outside his shared accommodation. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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 . In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd Atkinson poses for a photo. John Smyly questioned and followed Naropa University student Zayd Atkinson near his home in Boulder. Published: May. Atkinson repeatedly said he had not done anything wrong. Investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police . 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. Atkinson also told ABC Newss Good Morning America in April that hes been struggling with stress and trauma since the encounter. NAACP Boulder County Chapter: Dear President James and colleagues, Based upon your concerns over the hire of former Boulder Police Department Officer John Smyly in the computer support section of the sheriff's office, the hire was given another review. Join Facebook to connect with John Smyly and others you may know. Smyly is a 14-year department veteran was found in violation of two department policies. What position did John Smiley play? Atkinson refused then picked up the bucket and tool and walked away. Atkinson said he did, and Smyly asked for identification with the address on it. "If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. KATHLEEN FOODY. This is a clamp!" The Boulder police officer who confronted a black Naropa student picking up trash outside his residence in March was . The city added that Recordings emerged of Greene referring to deputies in his department as "Black bastards" and "snakes.". 0 The officer "did not have authority to detain Mr Atkinson", the department wrote in their report. Atkinson repeatedly said he had not done anything wrong. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . (Siddhartha Rathod via AP) 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. 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.. Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof. When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smyly escalates the situation. Check out footage of the exchange between Smyly and Atkinson. Watch live: White House monkeypox response team holds briefing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "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. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. Im picking up trash! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 418 0 obj <>stream But none of those officers, including Smyly, pointed their weapons at Atkinson, the report found. Thats what youre gonna do officer? The body camera videos, the police reports and dispatch tapes related to the incident are available at https://t.co/Luru5y5XJk pic.twitter.com/1vquVsUp7u. "I will not sit down, I refuse to sit down, until you guys put your (expletive) weapons away," Atkinson said. 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. 17, 2019 at 1:00 PM PDT. Mr Smyly attempted to detain Mr Atkinson . "I don't have a weapon. Officer quits after pulling gun on black college student picking up trash outside dorm. 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. John Smiley had 1,284 strikeouts over his career. 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. A police officer in Colorado has resigned after confronting a black student picking up rubbish outside his shared accommodation. The Boulder County Sheriff complaint line - 303-441-1759 WEST POINT, N.Y. Army head coach Jeff Monken is giving a history lesson. If you have information about the department Smyly is working for now, please email the information to realjamesfreeman@gmail.com, so I can publish it, warning potential new victims of his presence. In a documentary filmmaking class during her junior year at CU, Katrina Miller (Jour07) made a short movie about her friend, a Black student whod received a racially charged letter threatening her to step down from her post as student body president. A video showing part of the scene went viral on the Internet, sparking outrage in the progressive Colorado city. Your hand is on your weapon and youre gonna shoot me, Atkinson shouted. However, Smyly resigned before the investigation concluded. Atkinson echoed Rathod's remarks in an interview with Denver7. Learn more about John S.'s . BOULDER, Colo. -- New video shows the heated encounter that went viral back in March -- a black man confronted by a Boulder police officer while picking up trash in his own yard. On body-camera footage the city released Thursday, Atkinson can be heard saying, Im a student, I live here Im doing my job.. The former Boulder police officer who resigned after pointing a gun at a Black Naropa student has taken a temporary civilian position with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office . Smyly attempted to detain Atkinson, a student at Naropa University in Boulder, asking him to prove he lived on the property. The city added that Smyly resigned before the city concluded an investigation into the incident. 2 Followers, 0 Following, 1 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from John Smyly (@reformed_cop) If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. According to the new video footage, 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. Everyone really needs to open their eyes to all the truths of their community so we can fix it.. Im picking up trash! 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 . "If you or I did what Officer Smyly did to Zayd Atkinson, not only would we be immediately fired, we would be criminally prosecuted. Maybe he got a suspicious call or saw something but things escalated. I have practiced law for over 28 years, 14 of those years as a federal prosecutor and . 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 . Despite the documentarys bleak outlook, the filmmakers remain optimistic, due in large part to the positive reception of the film so far. Atkinson repeatedly said he had not done anything wrong.Your hand is on your weapon and youre gonna shoot me, Atkinson shouted. Cellphone footage shot by a neighbor showed Smyly holding his firearm amid the confrontation. Advertisement. The independent review, conducted by former U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, Bob Troyer, will soon be released by the city. 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. When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smy. 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. Smyly next asked for Atkinsons date of birth. May 16, 2019, 9:54 PM. They left after determining that Atkinson had a right to be on the property. Officer John Smyly. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. 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. Chandler is a veteran of the Washington D.C. metro writing scene, working as a journalist, reporter, and culture critic. ABC News noted that other officers arrived on the scene soon after. Boulder Is the Happiest City in the U.S. For Some, Marshall Fire Devastates CU Boulder Community. He did not mention the incident in his resignation letter. Atkinsons attorney, meanwhile, said he was upset that Smyly is allowed to stay on the citys payroll for more than eight months. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. Oyeneyin was handcuffed and detained in his own home after police responded to a burglar alarm in process. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. "The city of Boulder is paying this officer nearly $80,000 [71,500] for violating the constitutional rights of Zayd," he said. 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. Carr 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. Boulder police launch an internal investigation after a video surfaces showing officers confronting an African American man picking up trash in Boulder, Colorado. 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. More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. TwoFeather. John Smiley was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 12th round of the 1983 MLB June Amateur Draft from Perkiomen School (Pennsburg, PA). 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. While we have no proof racial bias was a motivating factor, the internal affairs investigation resulted in sustained violations of police policies.. 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. Boulder Police Department's investigation found Mr Smyly had violated the department's rules on police authority, public trust and conduct. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. Its hard to believe now, but there was a time when there was no Google in Boulder. Smyly drew his stun gun 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. The city said that an investigation did not find evidence of racial profiling. 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