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. That footage only showed Zayd Atkinson holding a bucket and a tool for picking up trash as police officers surrounded him outside the dormitory for students at Naropa University, a liberal arts school associated with Buddhism. D.L. D.L. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. An independent review conducted by former U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Bob Troyer will be released once its complete, which is expected to be next week. 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 . John Smyly, a former Boulder Colorado Police officer detains a man, Zayde Atkinson with no RAS. Atkinsons attorney, meanwhile, said he was upset that Smyly is allowed to stay on the citys payroll for more than eight months. D.L. Kazeem Oyeneyin answers the door at his home in Raleigh, N.C., on Aug. 17. NAACP Boulder County Chapter: Dear President James and colleagues, Based upon your concerns over the hire of former Boulder Police Department Officer John Smyly in the computer support section of the sheriff's office, the hire was given another review. Smyly is resigning but will "exhaust" his paid leave. hbbd```b``>"gk`G`vd "Y rdle`bd`u$300 * 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. What position did John Smiley play? That morning, John Smyly, a Boulder police officer, was driving around the area of Folsom Street and . Im picking up trash, and youre holding a gun!. 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. Police body camera footage released Thursday provided a full video account of the tense encounter, which had gained national attention based on video shot by someone inside a student dormitory at Naropa University, a liberal arts school associated with Buddhism in the city of Boulder. The man he tried to bully and intimidate, Zayde Atkinson, NEVER gave in. "I will not sit down, I refuse to sit down, until you guys put your (expletive) weapons away," Atkinson said. Recordings emerged of Greene referring to deputies in his department as "Black bastards" and "snakes.". A police internal affairs report said that Smylys choice to detain Atkinson was not supported by reasonable suspicion that Mr. Atkinson was committing, had committed, or was about to commit a crime.. Thats what youre gonna do officer? He did not mention the incident in his resignation letter.According to the new video footage, 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. (Siddhartha Rathod via AP) 1 of 2. The Associated Press reports he will earn benefits and a salary during this time and will be compensated for any unused holiday he accrues. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. We would immediately lose our jobs.. 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. Investigators found Smyly violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct, the city attorney said. 418 0 obj <>stream We would immediately lose our jobs.. But none of those officers, including Smyly, pointed their weapons at Atkinson, the report found. Atkinson provided his school ID, which did not have an address and then offered to let himself into the building as proof. Drought, dry grass and gusting winds lead to wildfire. 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 . Smyly resigned on May 15, before the conclusion of the disciplinary process. Colorado police officer John Smyly who pulled his gun on Zayd Atkinson, a student at Naropa University picking up trash in front of his apartment building, has resigned. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned . Oyeneyin was handcuffed and detained in his own home after police responded to a burglar alarm in process. 1202 University Avenue, 459 UCB 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. But an independent review of the confrontation found no impropriety in the procedures . 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 . What Smyly did should have incurred harsher charges but here we are. A phone number for Smyly could not be located Thursday. My life right now is kind of restless, unsettled, he said. Under the agreement, Smyly resigned his police role May 9 but will remain an employee through February without performing any work. Investigators also determined that a person overheard on the footage telling Atkinson that he was likely racially profiled was a Naropa employee and not one of the responding officers. [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. Authorities also released body camera footage from officers at the scene. "The city of Boulder is paying this officer nearly $80,000 [71,500] for violating the constitutional rights of Zayd," he said. City officials said the investigation could not prove that the officer, John Smyly, acted because of Zayd Atkinson's race. ABC News noted that other officers arrived on the scene soon after. Atkinson refused, then picked up the bucket and tool and walked away. 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 then started to walk away and continue picking up trash after Smyly asked for his address and date of birth, leading Smyly to radio for help. The officer "did not have authority to detain Mr Atkinson", the department wrote in their report. Police body camera footage released Thursday provided a full video account of the tense encounter, which had gained national attention based on video shot by someone inside a student dormitory at Naropa University, a liberal arts school associated with Buddhism in the city of Boulder. Police body camera footage released Thursday . This is a bucket! @O $6(|a*P`t@dLYYo&$ ()lTA johhUCWLe8*%BsS@35,\4'Jaqm>$BlvR6 Embattled NC sheriff resigns again before DA details accusations against him in court. City officials said the investigation could not prove that the officer, John Smyly, acted because of Zayd Atkinsons race. Mr Smyly called for backup because Mr Atkinson was "unwilling to put down a blunt object". 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. 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. In a statement released on Thursday, The city of Boulder announced that an investigation found that Smyly violated two police department policies: I have practiced law for over 28 years, 14 of those years as a federal prosecutor and . Read about our approach to external linking. !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smyly escalates the situation. Follow @dlchandler123 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. 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. 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. 17, 2019 at 1:00 PM PDT. If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. Miller, along with Beret Strong (Engl83) and John Tweedy (Engl82), are sparking important conversations about race and inclusion with their film This Is [Not] Who We Are, which explores the disconnect between Boulder's self-proclaimed commitment to diversity and Black residents lived experiences. endstream endobj 401 0 obj <. Join Facebook to connect with John Smyly and others you may know. Maybe he got a suspicious call or saw something but things escalated. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Smyly said he noticed Atkinson on the rear patio and wanted to see if he lived or worked there. Atkinson was picking up trash outside his dormitory when a white police officer in . That footage only showed Zayd Atkinson holding a bucket and a tool for picking up trash as police officers surrounded him outside the dormitory for students at Naropa University, a liberal arts school associated with Buddhism. We would immediately lose our jobs.. 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. The officer, John Smyly, resigned this week under an agreement with city officials who found he had violated department policies. 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. He currently heads the SPIRIT.ED column for Cassius Life, which focuses on adult beverages and their history. 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 . "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. And then you make it beautiful, you hope, so that lots of people are moved by it and want to engage with it. More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. Atkinson said he did, and Smyly asked for identification with the address on it. 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 echoed Rathod's remarks in an interview with Denver7. Atkinson repeats he's provided his identification but Smyly wants more proof. A white Colorado police officer who confronted a black man picking . 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