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. 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. During the incident the man gave officers his university ID and said repeatedly that he lived and worked at the shared occupancy building. Video shows Smyly approaching Atkinson in a partially enclosed patio area behind a private property sign, prompting the officer to ask if the man had a right to be there. By Breanna . And then you make it beautiful, you hope, so that lots of people are moved by it and want to engage with it. Officer John Smyly. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. And then you see if it can help galvanize dialogue and maybe some positive action., Photos stills fromThis Is Not Who We Are, Coloradan Magazine Stop!. Read about our approach to external linking. Chandler is a veteran of the Washington D.C. metro writing scene, working as a journalist, reporter, and culture critic. More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. endstream endobj startxref The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. %%EOF 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. /9YmNx7|:900w40e =:(xe:`L01[ J @45aG1V !@ %ISB&=@I!IB=@w30=s He is likely employed at a different police department at this time. 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 Boulder on March 1, the Boulder Daily Camera reports. "I don't have a weapon. An attorney for Atkinson called the agreement with the city of Boulder ridiculous.Boulder is essentially saying, 'Were going to pay this officer and let him resign for threatening Zayds life, for racially profiling Zayd,' attorney Siddhartha Rathod said. Atkinson repeatedly said he had not done anything wrong.Your hand is on your weapon and youre gonna shoot me, Atkinson shouted. Im picking up trash! 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 . Mr Smyly called for backup because Mr Atkinson was "unwilling to put down a blunt object". Learn more about John S.'s . (Facebook . Carr said investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct. The city added that John Smyly questioned and followed Naropa University student Zayd Atkinson near his home in Boulder. In a statement released on Thursday, The city of Boulder announced that an investigation found that Smyly violated two police department policies: Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Youre gonna shoot a resident on his property for picking up trash?An investigative summary said Smyly drew his gun when the two men reached the back of the building. A big reason why I got into film and video is because of the storytelling aspect, said Miller. 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. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. When demonstrators took to the . "If you or I did what Officer Smyly did to Zayd Atkinson, not only would we be immediately fired, we would be criminally prosecuted. A documentary at this year's Denver Film Festival is challenging the City of Boulder's inclusive reputation. John Smyly was found in violation of department policies and resigned in May 2019 after an internal investigation into Smyly's encounter with Zayd Atkinson in Boulder on March 1, 2019. 400 0 obj <> endobj 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. Atkinson repeatedly said he had not done anything wrong. 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. Put that down, Smyly said on the tape. It can be a great influencer, and Ive always known that there are certain issues in the world I want to address and the best medium to do that, for me, was film.. "If they don't have the ability to terminate racist officers, that's Boulder's problem not taxpayers' problem," Rathod said, pointing to new data that showed black and African-American people in Boulder were more than twice as likely to be arrested during a routine police stop than their white counterparts. Atkinson was picking up trash outside his dormitory when a white police officer in Boulder, Colo., detained him in March, 2019. KQ)csp W,M=--I3&\(4lPb&[ 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. Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof. Kazeem Oyeneyin answers the door at his home in Raleigh, N.C., on Aug. 17. John Smiley was a Pitcher. Based on the investigation, the Boulder Police Department will start additional training on de-escalation efforts for officers. As part of his resignation agreement, Smyly will officially end his employment with Boulder on Feb. 9, 2020 after using his accrued floating holiday leave, sick and permitted administrative leave. I thought that once the firearm was out that that meant that he was going to try to kill me, Atkinson said. John Smyly was found in violation of department policies and resigned in May 2019 after an internal investigation into Smyly's encounter with Zayd Atkinson in Boulder on March 1, 2019. How many strikeouts did John Smiley have? We do not know the motive of the officer on why he approached this black man. John Smiley had 1,284 strikeouts over his career. On March 1 st, 2019, Officer John Smyly was conducting patrols when he saw Atkinson seated on a bench of the building that said "private property."Smyly approaches Atkinson as he sits on the bench to ask if he resides in the building. "The subject officer did not have probable cause to charge Mr Atkinson with any crime.". KATHLEEN FOODY. 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". If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. The film centers on a recent incident that made headlines around the world: In March 2019, Boulder police officer John Smyly confronted and, ultimately, pointed his gun at Zayd Atkinson, a Black man and a student at Naropa University who was picking up trash outside of his dorm as part of his work-study job. Carr said the resignation agreement allowed the city to provide the community information more quickly, and it transitioned Officer Smyly out of a law enforcement career. The citys bargaining agreement with police officers requires an appeal for any disciplinary action and could have allowed Smyly to return to duty, he added. When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smy. Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof. Im picking up trash, and youre holding a gun!. 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, according to the new footage. Read about our approach to external linking. Youre on my property with a gun in your hand, threatening to shoot me because Im picking up trash, Atkinson said. But the movie goes much deeper than this moment, exploring how Boulders earliest history made it nearly impossible for people of color to succeed in the idyllic city in the shadow of the Flatirons. Its a facilitation. Atkinson also told ABC Newss Good Morning America in April that hes been struggling with stress and trauma since the encounter. IE 11 is not supported. A police officer in Colorado has resigned after confronting a black student picking up rubbish outside his shared accommodation. 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. Youre probably going to get tased in a second, because you have a weapon, Smyly told Atkinson before brandishing his handgun. The Boulder City Council has also created a task force to study police oversight. is a native Washingtonian and resides in the Greater Washington area. Thats what youre gonna do, officer? 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. 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 . Most young men are single. His first big break in journalism came with the now-defunct Politically Black in 1999, the nation's first Black political news portal. D.L. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . We would immediately lose our jobs.. Newly-released . 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. Stop!He then told Atkinson that he was obstructing a police officer, a jailable offense. 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