The job was publicly posted in 2019, Wagner said. This SOB lies to his fellow officers about this student, pure definition of a Racist. You have a dangerous object in your hand, Stunned Atkinson says, I dont have a weapon! A white Colorado police officer who pulled out his gun during a confrontation with a black man picking up trash has resigned under an agreement that lets him collect $69,000 in salary despite violating department policies When Zayde continues to refuse to be John Smylys b****, Smyly brandished a fire arm to try to further intimidate his victim into compliance. Zayd Atkinson, who is a student at Naropa University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u78BBpHcz44, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqmKzeeDj54, asking cops the same questions they ask us, Angela Lansdale a.k.a. Atkinson, a student at Naropa University, was picking up trash outside his residence. Responding Officer Body Camera Video March 1, 2019 from City of Boulder on Vimeo. According to the report, Atkinson raised his voice and Smyly felt threatened by the trash grabber and drew his stun gun and then drew his handgun. Article content. I am the white man here. He did not mention the incident in his resignation letter. According to KDVR, the officer, John Smyly was found to have violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct, but said that there was no evidence to support the claim that he racially profiled Zayd Atkinson, who is a student at Naropa University. John didn't believe for a second the 'blunt object' put him in danger. Wagner said the office did not have any comment about Smylys history with Boulder police because the job isnt as an officer/deputy or in any way related to police officer/law enforcement duties., According to a summary of the investigation released by Boulder police, Smyly was conducting extra patrols on March 1, 2019, in the area of Folsom Street and Arapahoe Avenue when he saw Atkinson seated on a bench in a patio area that had a sign that said private property.. That lack of explanation solidified Mr. Atkinsons perception that he was not being treated honestly and fairly, which increased his agitation and heightened his berating of the officers.. Gangs attack, use force & threats of, surround & intimidate, & act above the law because they are the law which is batshit crazy thinking. !, Atkinsons lawyer told Time that the city is going to pay this officer and let him resign for threatening Zayds life, for racially profiling Zayd If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. Servants, that what you call them. Officers were able to talk to Atkinson and a Naropa employee who responded to the scene and confirmed Atkinson was a student and lived in the building. The city manager supports the proposed settlement.. The investigation report said that while Mr Smyly had not used racial language during the incident and had "specifically" told them his actions were not based on Mr Atkinson's race, the student had disagreed. Smylys resignation took effect on Wednesday, as part of the settlement with the city. Atkinson is by now very upset. ", US police detain black man picking rubbish, Human error to blame for deadly train crash, says Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. .. Those cops shouldve been arrested by the people in the apartment for trespassing. Boulder residents have been betrayed. local news and culture, Michael Roberts See Photos. Atkinson was picking up trash outside his dormitory when a white police officer in . Body cam footage shows Sammie Lawrence, standing, filming a police encounter. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. Boulder Beat. He will, however, remain an employee through February . kudos. Radio Traffic from City of Boulder on Vimeo. John Smyly questioned and followed Naropa University student Zayd Atkinson near his home in Boulder. Smyly told dispatchers Atkinson was failing to comply and had a blunt metal object, which resulted in eight officers and a sergeant responding to the scene. Based on the history of race relations and law enforcement in the United States, and the particular circumstances of the encounter, Mr. Atkinsons anger was justified, the joint statement read. complexesBUT what if had killed that young man? Why would you want someone like that on their team? Im picking up trash on my property. I work here. Smyly says, OK, gotcha, but begins to interrogate Atkinson asking what the dorm address is. Police officer John Smyly resigned for threatening black college student Zyad Atkinson, who was picking up trash outside his dorm. On March 1, 2019, Atkinson, a student at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, was outside his dormitory picking up trash using a bucket and the device most commonly used to pick up trash found outdoors, known as a reacher grabber, a roughly 32-inch-long lightweight handled-pole with a claw at the bottom to retrieve debris. Did I honestly read they hired him back as a trainer?!?! How do feel about that?. "The city of Boulder is paying this officer nearly $80,000 [71,500] for violating the constitutional rights of Zayd," he said. Officer John Smyly (Photo: Boulder Police Department) This is really disturbing that Boulder County Sheriffs office would hire someone like this. 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. Do you have anything with your address on it?. Smyly resigned prior to the conclusion of the disciplinary process, but police indicated the process would have likely resulted in suspension or termination. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Tuck tail and go back to work. Im going to follow him until my cover gets here, the police officer says. The interaction has lasted nearly eight minutes. "I will not sit down, I refuse to sit down, until you guys put your (expletive) weapons away," Atkinson said. I live here! The settlement allowed the city to provide the community information more quickly, and it transitioned Officer Smyly out of a law enforcement career.. When did this change? Atkinson and the city are settling any potential claims arising from this interaction so that the parties may focus on the continued healing of both the community and Mr. Atkinson, the statement read. Obviously, I still have things to learn.. Boulder County, Colorado, United States. Youre going to tase me outside of my residence?, Smyly tells Atknson to drop it! James Freeman, If you were to somehow find out where John Smyly is living, then interrogate him in a stupid way like he did to this poor man, I would love to see that and consider it your best video. 7:38AM. Atkinson was maintaining the property outside the dorm as part of his work-study job. Im picking up garage on my fuc*ing property. Later in the video, that employee can be heard telling Atkinson that he had indeed been racially profiled but suggests they deal with that later and for the time being, de-escalate the situation themselves. Put it down., Youre gonna shoot me? In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd Atkinson poses for a photo. "I don't have a weapon! Their history is that they have no morals and are racist! Mr. Atkinson received a settlement of $125,000. Sit down boy. The investigation found that Smyly, who had been with the department for 14 years with no prior history of disciplinary action, violated two police department policies, but the report did not find evidence of racial profiling, according to the department. Such is the case of Boulder, Colo., police officer John Smyly over his interaction with Zayd Atkinson on March 1st this year. Atkinson repeats her lives in the dorm and is working, but Smyly persists. According to KDVR, the officer, John Smyly was found to have violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct, but said that there was no evidence to support the. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Throw me some cash if you've got it so I can keep you informed. After Atkinson showed a student ID and then asked if he had to provide more information, Smyly persisted in his questions. abcnews.go.com I've met many a Caucasian who comes off all friendly, polite and smiley (pun unintended) but is really cocked and locked to assert his will every which way including physically, like some bully character in The Karate Kid. See . I tend to be very supportive of police officers, including in the most controversial of circumstances. As the news station notes, Smyly would have likely been suspended or fired over the violation of department policies, but was able to resign before the disciplinary process concluded. "If you or I did what Officer Smyly did to Zayd Atkinson, not only would we be immediately fired, we would be criminally prosecuted," Siddhartha Rathod 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. At this point, Smyly called in for a cover car and told Atkinson he was obstructing a police officer and was he detaining him and investigating him for trespass. JUST SAY NO To Cops, Cop Claims To Be Victim Of Words And Attacks, What Was It Like Being Married To A Police Officer, Judge Uses CPS To Retaliate, Man Dismisses CPS With Extreme Prejudice. More tax payers money going out the window . The Boulder, Colorado, police officer who initiated contact with a Black man as he was picking up trash around his front yard, resulting in several officers responding and also handling their weapons in a threatening manner, has resigned. According to the report, Atkinson raised his voice and Smyly felt threatened by the trash grabber and drew his stun gun and then drew his handgun. An independent consultant may be brought in to evaluate cases of major misconduct. Police have released several body camera videos that depict what happened that winter day at the dormitory where Zyad Atkinson lived. Atkinson said he lived there. Boulder City Attorney Tom Carr and Atkinsons attorneys at Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC issued a joint statement on Thursday. The NAACPs Boulder County chapter shared its concerns about Smylys hiring with Sheriff Joe Pelle, who sent a letter Oct. 1 to the chapter to share that his office determined his hiring was not helpful to our equity work., Our staff spoke to John Smyly yesterday concerning the controversy over his temporary position here, Pelle wrote. The statement did not release any terms of the settlement. Smyly says, into a police radio presumably, that Atkinson has a blunt object in his hand: hes failing to comply with some kind of a blunt object in his hands. We need MORE CONSEQUENCES!! Thats what youre gonna do, officer? If the second cop on the scene doesnt tackle the first cop and put him in a car then its all bullshit. 2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. independent local journalism in Denver. These are the civilized racists, the refined racists who smooth talk you into submission, but who still have their finger on the trigger, as John did for countless minutes, because they are smart enough to know that the law without violence is not really the Law. Bill Smyly in March 2016. A settlement was reached, but the exact agreement is unknown. Two U.S. Capitol Police officers sued Donald Trump, blaming him for "physical and emotional injuries" they sustained during the Jan. 6 invasion of the Capitol. And Smyly says thats the first time he gave him his unit (room) number. Join the Westword community and help support Wow, clear case of abuse of his constitutional rights, this is why the public hates them with some going further using the same force. Denver's independent source of He lived in the dorm and was directly outside the building picking up the litter when he was approached by then-Boulder Police officer John Smyly. 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. All of those cops should spend 20 years in jail. Atkinson later reached a settlement with the city. 1st amendment audit fail, Youre Making Members Feel Uncomfortable & Im Here To Make Sure You Dont Do That Says PastorBob. According to a summary of the investigation released by Boulder police, Smyly was conducting extra patrols on March 1, 2019, in the area of Folsom Street and Arapahoe Avenue when he saw Atkinson seated on a bench in a patio area that had a sign that said "private property." Are you kidding me?, Smyly presses on. 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. ego driven , the nerve to call the garbage tool a weapon !!! 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. Im not doing anything wrong. Black college student Zyad Atkinson, and hundreds of thousands who have seen the video, say otherwise. The Associated Press reports he will earn benefits and a salary during this time and will be compensated for any unused holiday he accrues. Oyeneyin was handcuffed and detained in his own home after police responded to a burglar alarm in process. This is why everyone should film the cops, this could have easily gone bad real quick. but it can also be stressful. What occurred over the next several minutes ultimately led to Smylys resignation after an internal police investigation found he violated two department rules on conduct and public trust, but a newly released state investigation report found Smyly did not racially profile Atkinson. Colorado police confront man picking up trash on his lawn. Its unclear at this time when council will revisit the issue. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The city added that Smyly resigned . Sheriff Pelle might be surprised if he were to poll his Black employees the limited number he has to hear their position on Smyly being hired after Smylys racist incident as an officer, Darren OConnor wrote in an email on behalf of the local NAACP chapter. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. "Stop!" 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. At no point in the entire incident did anyone use racial language, slurs or innuendo. This completely misses the point about how institutional bias operates. Smyly approached Atkinson on foot, and saw that he was using a long metal claw to pick up trash and put it in a bucket. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Officer John Smyly was allowed to resign. Mr. We did not see any opportunity for harm, he wrote. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Implementation work is ongoing. As part of the settlement agreement between Smyly and the City of Boulder his file "will . When Smyly asked for an address and date of birth, Atkinson walked away and began to pick up trash again. Boulder Police Department's investigation found Mr Smyly had violated the department's rules on police authority, public trust and conduct. source, Your email address will not be published. Smyly approached Atkinson on foot, and saw that he was using a long metal claw to pick up trash and put it in a bucket. police officer who initiated contact with a Black man. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. John Smyly was found in violation of department policies and resigned in May 2019 after an internal investigation into Smylys encounter with Zayd Atkinson in Boulder on March 1, 2019. A Boulder police officer and onetime college football player being sued by a woman he shoved to the ground without any apparent provocation had previously resigned from the Denver Sheriff's Department while facing possible discipline for an alleged excessive-force incident. Mr Smyly called for backup because Mr Atkinson was "unwilling to put down a blunt object". Youd better think about it. Box 21315 Boulder, CO 80301. Plus this dummy cost us citizens over $100,000 in settlement to the victim of his racist profiling. Police say Smyly was wrong, but didn't racially profile Atkinson. and help keep the future of Westword, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our. They also asked Pelle to extend an invitation to Smyly from the NAACP to participate in a healing justice model, modeled after the restorative justice process used in the criminal justice system. The ground!? Officer Waylon Lolotai as seen in a March video shared by ZFG Videography, which was associated with a, Become a member to support the independent voice of Denver Atkinson then walked away from the officer, who had no right to detain him based on the evidence he had gained at that point. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The officer then could be easily notified he is the only criminal on the scene. Capitol police officers who were attacked and beaten during the insurrection at the US Congress on 6 January by extremist supporters of Donald Trump filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the former . 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. He is likely employed at a different police department at this time. City council is set to approve the payout during a special Monday night meeting, the only non-coronavirus item on the agenda. Tell me I'm wrong . Smyly tells Atkinson, who is black, that he couldnt help but notice you just sitting on the patio behind this building there are signs for no trespassing. Atkinson says, I live here. Smyly says, Yeah I wasnt sure what you were doing if you live here or you work here it looks like youre working.. You cant do anything. I'm a retired Addiction Therapist, and had worked with 3 cops with what we call Sociopathic disorders caused by childhood trauma and fear. Police body camera footage of the tense encounter was released on Thursday and showed Smyly approaching Atkinson asking if he lived or worked in the building where the student was using a metal clamp to pick up trash and put it in a bucket. 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. This cop as all of them become cops out of fear and are arrested in development at the age of their childhood trauma that was never dealt with. The lawsuit says Trump "inflamed,. Where is he taking ME?!? It is not possible to predict the outcome of a trial, the notes read, a standard caution that accompanies every large settlement that comes before council. Atkinson says he lives in room 304. Under a settlement with the department, Mr Smyly will stay on the city payroll until February 2020. Denver's independent source of Celebrate the 303: From Crocs to Cannabis, Colorado Has Your Number, Have Thoughts About the Denver Moves Everyone Plan? October 6, 2020 it used to be" put your hands behind your head ". This is a bucket! 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