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. We have concluded this hire was not helpful to our equity work, and I wish . The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with . @dlchandler123. John Smiley was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 12th round of the 1983 MLB June Amateur Draft from Perkiomen School (Pennsburg, PA). Atkinson also told ABC Newss Good Morning America in April that hes been struggling with stress and trauma since the encounter. 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. Investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct, the city attorney said. While we have no proof racial bias was a motivating factor, the internal affairs investigation resulted in sustained violations of police policies.. After about eight minutes, more officers arrive and form a loose half circle around Atkinson. We do not know the motive of the officer on why he approached this black man. 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 . This is a bucket. By Ben Kesslen. October 1, 2020. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. }, 2000 ) } ); John Smyly, a former police officer in the city of Boulder, Colo., will not face harsh penalties after he racially profiled, harassed, and threatened a Black man doing a good deed in his community. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. And then you make it beautiful, you hope, so that lots of people are moved by it and want to engage with it. I thought that once the firearm was out that that meant that he was going to try to kill me, Atkinson said. On Thursday, the city announced the conclusion of an internal investigation, saying it found Smyly violated two department policies could not substantiate claims of racial bias. City Attorney Tom Carr said firing Smyly would have led to a drawn-out appeal and potentially allowed him to keep his job. 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. City officials said the investigation could not prove that Smyly acted because of Atkinsons race. 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 . Featuring historical context and emotional interviews with present-day Black residents of Boulder including children and teens grappling with racist bullies at school This Is [Not] Who We Are shows another side of a city that views itself as progressive. "I will not sit down, I refuse to sit down, until you guys put your (expletive) weapons away," Atkinson said. Atkinson was picking up trash outside his dormitory when a white police officer in . Lawmakers trounce Lobbyists in annual charity hockey game, These four House Republicans broke with the GOP to oppose inflation estimates bill, Biden mocks Rep. 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Atkinson refused then picked up the bucket and tool and walked away.Put that down, Smyly said on the tape. The city was being "disingenuous with the public" and "using taxpayer dollars to pay this officer," he added. Mr. Rathod is correct. 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. Smyly then detained Atkinson for further investigation,which prompted Atkinson to grow frustrated. Atkinson said he did, and Smyly asked for identification with the address on it. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, executive summary of the internal affairs investigation, body camera videos, police report and dispatch tapes, Activists call for citizen review board after Boulder officers detain black man. The officer "did not have authority to detain Mr Atkinson", the department wrote in their report. Mr Atkinson says in a video taken by a neighbour. He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. That morning, John Smyly, a Boulder police officer, was driving around the area of Folsom Street and . "If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. 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. On the video, Atkinson responds by shouting: Thats a gun! 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. We do urge caution as this video could trigger some. 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. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . Based on the investigation, the Boulder Police Department will start additional training on de-escalation efforts for officers. covers a variety of topics including breaking news, politics, Hip-Hop music and culture, fashion, and Black history. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned his police role May 9 but will remain an employee through February without performing any work. Youre on my property with a gun in your hand, threatening to shoot me because Im picking up trash, Atkinson said. @O $6(|a*P`t@dLYYo&$ ()lTA johhUCWLe8*%BsS@35,\4'Jaqm>$BlvR6 John Smyly, a former Boulder Colorado Police officer detains a man, Zayde Atkinson with no RAS. John Smiley had 1,284 strikeouts over his career. Check out footage of the exchange between Smyly and Atkinson. He will, however, remain an employee through February . Im picking up trash! Newly-released . . Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . Atkinsons attorney, Siddhartha Rathod, said he thinks Smyly is getting off too easy. The officer, John Smyly, resigned with a severance package, as the City Council and community members were troubled by the incident. The city offered to settle with Atkinson for $125,000. Atkinson, 26, said he believes Smyly should have been fired immediately. 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. John Smyly resigned from the BPD after pointing a gun at Black Naropa student Zayd Atkinson, and he was just hired by Boulder County Sheriff. The citizens of Boulder should be outraged that Boulder either doesnt have the ability or the will to fire this officer and root out discrimination from this police department., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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Copyright 2019 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Under a settlement with the department, Mr Smyly will stay on the city payroll until February 2020. Shop Our Favorite February Amazon Deals Before the Sales End, The 14 Best Mineral Sunscreens of 2023, According to Pros, 14 TikTok-Famous Cleaning Products That Actually Work, According to Our Experts, 14 Best Healthier Candy Alternatives of 2023, According to Taste Tests. The film "This Is Not Who We Are" includes the testimonials of several black Boulder . He tries to make his victim sit like a dog, for no reason other than to assert dominance over him. !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? Mr Atkinson told local broadcaster CBS4 Denver he was glad Officer Smyly was "being held accountable for something but it seems like it's just bare minimum things". Boulder PD releases body camera footage, reports. The Boulder City Council has also created a task force to study police oversight. The city added that Smyly resigned before the city concluded an investigation into the incident. When demonstrators took to the streets to show support for Atkinson and protest racism, the filmmakers grabbed their cameras and got to work. 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. 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. This is a clamp!" 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. Officer Smyly . Advertisement. (Siddhartha Rathod via AP) 1 of 2. [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. 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. 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