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. 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. Video of the incident from Smyly's body camera shows him detaining . When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smy. Smyly next asked for Atkinsons date of birth. 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 . Friday, March 13, 2020 (Updated Monday, March 16) The city of Boulder is offering a $125,000 settlement to Zayd Atkinson, the black Naropa student who was confronted by armed police officers last year while picking up trash 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. 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. 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. hb```*f Watch: Police confront black man in his own yard. As Atkinson attempted to continue to pick up trash, Smyly told him, Youre probably going to get tased, and eventually pulled out his gun, claiming Atkinsons trash grabber could be used as a weapon. View the profiles of people named John Smyly. Embattled NC sheriff resigns again before DA details accusations against him in court. Join Facebook to connect with John Smyly and others you may know. Most young women are not. Officer quits after pulling gun on black college student picking up trash outside dorm. 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. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of WYFF-TV. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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Boulder Police Officer John Smyly quit . 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. 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 shepherd boy, the wolf and the threat to Israeli democracy. 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. 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. Officer Smyly drew his gun and called in backup during the confrontation in March. 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 officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. On the video, Atkinson responds by shouting: Thats a gun! Atkinsons attorney, Siddhartha Rathod, said he thinks Smyly is getting off too easy. Boulder officials conducted an investigation of the March incident of officer John Smyly confronting Zayd Atkinson outside his home. When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smyly escalates the situation. 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 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 . City Attorney Tom Carr said firing Smyly would have led to a drawn-out appeal and potentially allowed him to keep his job. But an independent review of the confrontation found no impropriety in the procedures . 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. Stop!. Its a facilitation. "The subject officer did not have probable cause to charge Mr Atkinson with any crime.". When Zayde Atkinson refuses, Smyly threatens to . The independent review, conducted by former U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, Bob Troyer, will soon be released by the city. 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. @dlchandler123. 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. John Smyly questioned and followed Naropa University student Zayd . Smyly reportedly asked Atkinson if he was permitted to be at the location. 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 . We would immediately lose our jobs.. 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. Officer John Smyly resigned Wednesday ahead of a planned administrative hearing into his confrontation involving Naropa University student Zayd Atkinson in March, CBS Denver reported. He said he has had trouble sleeping and spends time outdoors or with friends to calm him. 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. More broadly, they hope as many people as possible will view the documentary and join us in trying to be the community that we want to be, Miller said. (Facebook . At one point, eight police officers were surrounding Atkinson, but they eventually left after confirming Atkinson did indeed live in the building as he claimed. ABC News noted that other officers arrived on the scene soon after. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. 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. The officer, John Smyly, resigned with a severance package, as the City Council and community members were troubled by the incident. However, Smyly resigned before the investigation concluded. 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 officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. 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. 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. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . All Rights Reserved. How many strikeouts did John Smiley have? Under a settlement with the department, Mr Smyly will stay on the city payroll until February 2020. 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. Youre on my property with a gun in your hand, threatening to shoot me because Im picking up trash, Atkinson said. Carr said investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct. [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. In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd Atkinson poses for a photo. 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 refused then picked up the bucket and tool and walked away.Put that down, Smyly said on the tape. After about eight minutes, more officers arrive and form a loose half circle around Atkinson. Smyly . 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 . Supervised 25 different police officer trainees, evaluating job performance and developing training plans to encourage professional growth and improve deficiencies. 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