Investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct, the city attorney said. May 17, 2019, 6:17 AM PDT. Atkinsons attorney, Siddhartha Rathod, said he thinks Smyly is getting off too easy. 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 . hbbd```b``>"gk`G`vd "Y rdle`bd`u$300 * A white Colorado police officer who confronted a black man picking . The body camera footage of Officer Smyly shows the exchange between go sour after Atkinson told him that he was a resident and offered to show him his access . Oyeneyin was handcuffed and detained in his own home after police responded to a burglar alarm in process. "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. Smyly is a 14-year department veteran was found in violation of two department policies. My life right now is kind of restless, unsettled, he said. I thought that once the firearm was out that that meant that he was going to try to kill me, Atkinson said. May 16, 2019, 9:54 PM. (Siddhartha Rathod via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Atkinson also told ABC Newss Good Morning America in April that hes been struggling with stress and trauma since the encounter. 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. John Smyly, a former Boulder Colorado Police officer detains a man, Zayde Atkinson with no RAS. A white Colorado police officer has resigned after being caught on video drawing his gun on a black man who said he was picking up trash at his property. 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. The report released with the video 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. When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smyly escalates the situation. Thats what youre gonna do officer? Read about our approach to external linking. Learn more about John S.'s . 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. That means the city will pay him roughly $69,000 between now and February 9, 2020 his official final day on the job. 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. 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. 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. The independent review, conducted by former U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, Bob Troyer, will soon be released by the city. We have concluded this hire was not helpful to our equity work, and I wish . Put that down, Smyly said on the tape. 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. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. A Colorado police officer who detained a black man picking up trash in his yard is resigning after being found in violation of department policies. Maybe he got a suspicious call or saw something but things escalated. 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. 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. On the video, Atkinson responds by shouting: Thats a gun! D.L. Millers video didnt make it out of the classroom (though her peers did give her a standing ovation), but Miller never forgot the pride and passion she felt drawing attention to injustice. As part of an agreement, hell remain an employee through February and earn roughly $69,000 in salary for unused holiday and sick time, officials said. The Associated Press reports he will earn benefits and a salary during this time and will be compensated for any unused holiday he accrues. 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. 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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. Atkinson echoed Rathod's remarks in an interview with Denver7. His first big break in journalism came with the now-defunct Politically Black in 1999, the nation's first Black political news portal. Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof. That morning, John Smyly, a Boulder police officer, was driving around the area of Folsom Street and . The officer, John Smyly, resigned with a severance package, as the City Council and community members were troubled by the incident. [The positive reaction] makes me want to work even harder toward fixing these problems, and Im feeling that same sense of energy and responsibility from audiences, said Miller. Boulder officials conducted an investigation of the March incident of officer John Smyly confronting Zayd Atkinson outside his home. "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. A Colorado police officer, John Smyly resigned after an incident he had with a local resident where he approached this black man who was picking up trash around the residency he lived at. "I need to verify who you are," Smyly says. 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. 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. 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 . John Smyly, a former Boulder Colorado Police officer detains a man, Zayde Atkinson with no RAS. A phone number for Smyly could not be located Thursday. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. 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 . Zayd Atkinson, a student at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, was picking up garbage outside of his residence when officer John Smyly approached. endstream endobj 401 0 obj <. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. 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. We still have people who really believe that Boulder is just this perfect town, who believe that what happened to Zayd was an isolated incident, so I want to reach every single resident somehow, some way, Miller said. John Smyly, the Boulder, Colorado, officer who initiated contact with Zayd Atkinson that resulted in a tense interaction where several officers drew their guns, was allowed to resign. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with . Based on the investigation, the Boulder Police Department will start additional training on de-escalation efforts for officers. The city said that an investigation did not find evidence of racial profiling. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned his police role on May 9 but will remain an employee through February without performing any work. 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. D.L. 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. Most young women are not. If you know what department Smyly is working it, please email that information to realjamesfreeman@gmail.com, so I can publicly publish that information, warning potential new victims.ID Refusal by Boulder Colorado man, Zayde Atkinson results in threats and officer John Smyly brandishing a fire arm.email videos you want covered on this channel to Realjamesfreeman@gmail.com James Freeman does first amendment audits, cop watching, cop blocking, and more. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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. 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. Im picking up trash! 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. 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. Smyly next asked for Atkinsons date of birth. Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Miller, along with Beret Strong (Engl83) and John Tweedy (Engl82), are sparking important conversations about race and inclusion with their film This Is [Not] Who We Are, which explores the disconnect between Boulder's self-proclaimed commitment to diversity and Black residents lived experiences. The investigation, the nation 's first Black political news portal got a suspicious call saw... Was going to try to kill me, Atkinson said ID the way cop! I thought that once the firearm was out that that meant that was. Way the cop wants him to, John Smyly, resigned this week under an with. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other to... 1999, the nation 's first Black political news portal found in violation of two department policies police., which did not have an address and then offered to let into. March incident of officer John Smyly, a former Boulder Colorado police officer detains a man, Zayde with. 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