"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. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Smyly wants to see something like a driver license with the address of the student housing on it. This is a clamp!" Ive got to verify it so that I know you do in fact live. Atkinson becomes incredulous. Then watch their tyrant attitudes disappear when their psychotic episodes start coming out of their own pockets. John Smyly questioned and followed Naropa University student Zayd Atkinson near his home in Boulder. Prolonged litigation will adversely impact those efforts. or. Zayd Atkinson could have lost his life. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. While we have no proof that racial bias was a motivating factor, the internal affairs investigation resulted in sustained violations of police policies, Car added. 20:50 This Ex-Officer became a bus driver so he can tell little kids to sit down all day, he's a happy man. Smyly, a 14-year veteran of the department, resigned from active duty on May 16. The reports of the investigation did find that Smyly did violate two department . Things got tense when Smyly asked for Atkinsons date of birth, which Atkinson refused to provide. See two videos of the incident below. He failed to do so, and in that failure dishonored his responsibility to the law. I work here. Smyly says, OK, gotcha, but begins to interrogate Atkinson asking what the dorm address is. I'm a retired Addiction Therapist, and had worked with 3 cops with what we call Sociopathic disorders caused by childhood trauma and fear. More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. A settlement is the best option for the city in the face of legal action, staff wrote in notes to city council. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Required fields are marked *. Im just doing my job just making sure you belong here. John is not enjoying the spotlight or controversy and understands it is necessary for him to leave. 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. Im a citizen of this country!. 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. Find your friends on Facebook. See Photos. I'll keep saying this, all officers like this should be made to take out public liability insurance so the taxpayer no longer has to bail these morons out just so they can go and abuse rights again and again. It is the second settlement related to highly publicized encounters of Black men by Boulder police officers that year. Celebrate the 303: From Crocs to Cannabis, Colorado Has Your Number, Have Thoughts About the Denver Moves Everyone Plan? John Smyly. According to the Boulder County Sheriffs Office, Smyly was hired in January on a two-year term position as a civilian training and development coordinator in the sheriffs computer support unit. Or mail cash/check/precious gemstones toP.O. !https://t.co/zIdfvzIr6v, Karen Hunter (@karenhunter) May 24, 2019, Apparently it is NOT police policy to harass people picking up trash in their apt. Police armed officers Boulder Boulder Police Department city council city of Boulder civilian oversight panel cops firearms Naropa University nondisclosure agreement police police officers police oversight police reform racial justice settlement use of force Zayd Atkinson. Investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct, the city attorney said. 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. We've been shown this plenty of times. ID Refusal by Boulder Colorado man, Zayde Atkinson results in threats and officer John Smyly brandishing a fire arm. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Officer John Smyly was allowed to resign. He did not mention the incident in his resignation letter. "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. to sign up for a weekly newsletter from Boulder Beat. Email: [email protected]. But he misses the point. We need MORE CONSEQUENCES!! Boulder police said it could not support a claim of racial profiling in the encounter, but Smyly was found to have violated two department policies. Smyly asked for Atkinson's date of birth. We know you don't bring a trash grabber to a gun fight; and we know John would be more than happy to use his firearm to defend himself from the deadly implement. Atkinson said he did and gave Smyly his Naropa student ID. Denver's independent source of Read about our approach to external linking. Boulder City Attorney Tom Carr and Atkinsons attorneys at Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC issued a joint statement on Thursday. A group of former and current Black women officers filed a class action lawsuit against the Washington, DC police on Wednesday claiming racial and sexual discrimination, a hostile . Not once EVER have i seen a cop tell the truth to a responding supervisor or backup, if i was the responding supervisor i,d be plenty GD pissed for lying to me, and EVERY single friggin time they just lap it up., Never questioning the liars version. Officer Smyly eventually called for backup to which multiple officers showed up and Smyly at one point did draw his gun. 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. Independent review backs Boulder police findings, process in Zayd Atkinson case https://t.co/gkwQYP8Vaa pic.twitter.com/g0ccRh8bQZ, Daily Camera (@dailycamera) May 22, 2019, According to the Boulder Police Departments investigation and executive summary, Smyly violated Police Authority and Public Trust, meaning he was the antithesis of effective, helpful and non-abusive and he also violated a department conduct rule by not using reasonable judgment and did not refrain from conduct which reflects unfavorably on the department, Boulder City Council held a special meeting tonight with the community regarding the alleged racial profiling of Zayd Atkinson in @bouldercolorado #Boulder #BlackLivesMatter #Colorado @dailycamera more pics of the meeting here: https://t.co/yr5FYcGdrA pic.twitter.com/ARBjpjtGDA, Jeremy Papasso (@jpapasso) March 19, 2019. People named John Smyly. 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. I live here. They want this guy teaching others anything is absurd. What are you doing, officer? ", 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. The city's bargaining agreement with police officers requires an appeal for any disciplinary action and could have allowed Smyly to return to duty, he added.City officials said the investigation . Smyly is a 14-year department veteran was found in violation of two department policies. "Just wondering if you have a right to be here." Subject Officer Body Camera Video March 1, 2019, Responding Officer Body Camera Video March 1, 2019. Body cam footage shows Sammie Lawrence, standing, filming a police encounter. Is that an Oops? John Smyly lost his police job. After noticing a "Private Property" sign near where the man was sitting, Smyly asked if he lived there. According to the report, Smyly asked Atkinson whether he lived in the building, which was Naropa student housing. Council in October approved a new structure that will include an oversight board and a permanent staff member to serve as a liaison between the community and cops, as well as monitoring internal investigations and auditing policies and practices. This is a bucket! See . A police officer in Colorado has resigned after confronting a black student picking up rubbish outside his shared accommodation. How do you think about that? The student tried to pick up his equipment and leave when Smyly stopped him. 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. According to the report, Smyly asked Atkinson if he lived in the building, which was Naropa student housing. Do as you are told. When Zayde continues to refuse to be John Smylys b****, Smyly brandished a fire arm to try to further intimidate his victim into compliance. What's he waiting for? Atkinson, a student at Naropa University, was picking up trash outside his residence. Such is the case of Boulder, Colo., police officer John Smyly over his interaction with Zayd Atkinson on March 1st this year. independent local journalism in Denver. However, none of the officers explained why they wanted him to sit down. Smyly resigned prior to the conclusion of the disciplinary process, but police indicated the process likely would have resulted in suspension or termination. Im just checking to make sure that you have a right to be here, Smyly says. Role Resigned Director Date of birth March 1958 Appointed on 22 May 2017 Resigned on 10 March 2020 . 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. Here are some ways you can help. 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. Contact Us if You Have Problems Creating Your Account at : Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. John Smyly. 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. Smyly approached Atkinson on March 1 in front of the condo-style building, where . The Boulder City Attorney was quoted as saying there was no proof that racial bias was a motivating factor in the incident. In the joint statement, the city acknowledged Atkinson should not have been stopped, and that the proper protocol would have been for the officer to walk away after Mr. Atkinson produced his student identification card and explained what he was doing.. If they're on the job it is 100% within reasonable expectations of the people to have access to what any officer is doing in live time. We would immediately lose our jobs.. However, they are crucial to any rooms look and feel. Mitchell Byars has been reporting for the Daily Camera since 2011, covering breaking news and courts. 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.. Previous post: Coronavirus in Boulder County: No confirmed cases; officials urge calm, caution, Next post: Coronavirus in Boulder County: Officials urge public not to panic just stay away from other people, 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. October 6, 2020 If you have information about the department Smyly is working for now, please email the information to [email protected], so I can publish it, warning potential new victims of his presence. Atkinson was sitting in a partially enclosed. Youd better think about it. The city council should take remedial action. According to the Daily Camera, a review of the Boulder Police internal investigation found there was no evidence of racial profiling. Elected officials must OK any settlement greater than $10,000, per city code. I wonder how a cop would feel if the person he was confronting gave a call and people start emerging from all round, surround the cop?It is downright creepy how they do this.What is worse is that no-one questions or clarifies the call out. 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. 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. 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. Sit down boy. Such is the case of Boulder, Colo., police officer John Smyly over his interaction with Zayd Atkinson on March 1st this year. Youre gonna shoot a resident on his property for picking up trash?. However, a disciplinary appeal process required by the police collective bargaining agreement likely would have overturned a termination of the officer, and he would have returned to duty after extensive additional delay. Im outside picking up garbage., Smyly tells Atkinson this is your last chance Im detaining you on investigation for trespassing., I live here! Atkinson points to it and reads it to the officer. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. but it can also be stressful. 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. Boulder and Zayd Atkinson, a black Naropa student who was confronted by a police officer while picking up trash outside his apartment, have agreed to settle any civil claims involving the incident. 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