Mr. Atkinson was repeatedly ordered to put down his "weapon" which was a trash grabber and plastic bucket. By Ben Kesslen. Prolonged litigation will adversely impact those efforts. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Atkinson beleives he was "penalized for practicing my rights," and his attorney, Siddhartha Rathod, said the officer's punishment doesn't reflect that. Lolotais departure was unrelated to that investigation or the many excessive force allegations that plagued him every since his time at the Denver Sheriffs Department. Zayd was the first adult male to become a Muslim and the only Muslim apart from Muhammad to be mentioned by name in the Quran. Following the March 1 episode with Naropa student Zayd Atkinson, also described in the complaint, Lolotai was caught on video again during the April 5 arrest of Sammie Lawrence, who tried to . The first, in which Naropa student Zayd Atkinson was confronted by armed officers while picking up trash outside his home, drew national media attention and sparked local protests. The investigation was conducted by former U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer along with Michael Rankin and Robert Evans, both of Bluestone Investigative and Risk Solutions. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); copyright 2023. During the 16-minute standoff, multiple officers politely and calmly asked Mr. Atkinson to drop the trash grabber and sit down so they could talk, the report read. "Boulder police began looking into the incident on Friday and early this morning launched an official internal affairs investigation.". Although Zayd is a little-known and marginal figure in the standard account of the rise of Islam, he was originally a key figure in the Islamic foundation narrative, according to David S. Powers, professor of Near . Atkinson was allegedly racially profiled by a Boulder Police officer for picking up trash on his own property. SFC licensees. "I'm just checking to make sure that you have a right to be here, that's all. Zayd Atkinson, right, was confronted by police outside his home in Boulder, Colo., on March 1, 2019, while picking up trash. Mr. "There are instances like this where people don't come out alive. 2701 Lawrence Street, Suite 100 . Internal Affairs Investigation Case Number: IA2019-001. Telephone: 303-578-4400 Required fields are marked *. The report notes Boulder police Chief Greg Testa got the first complaint about the incident on March 3 from Atkinsons mother, and referred the matter to internal affairs on March 4. Im picking up trash. Privacy Policy. Zayd Atkinson was among the more than 600 protesters in Boulder on Sunday who marched from . Atkinson was detained by Smyly for further investigation and he made a call for backup. Executive Summary. "But I'm not surprised that this happened to me and I won't be surprised if it happens again tomorrow, or the next day, until we do something about it," he added. (Jeremy Papasso/Staff photographer) Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Sam Lounsberry covers Longmont and the Carbon Valley. "It definitely brings fear to my heart knowing that some people don't survive. According to the police report, Smyly asked Atkinson . 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. Body camera video of the incident that was released on Thursday shows Atkinson getting upset after the officer asked him what unit he lives in and asking him to provide identification that showed his address. (credit: CBS) Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. Mr. Atkinson raised his voice and yelled., Smyly said he felt threatened by the trash grabber. He drew his Taser and later transitioned to his handgun, both weapons were pointed in a downward direction in front of the officer., The subject officer said that he did not believe that the Taser would be effective, because Mr. Atkinson was wearing a heavy coat, the summary states. Atkinson was behind a private property sign and . Copyright 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. approval of past meeting minu, which historically does not receive discussion. The subject officer then activated his body camera and decided to self-initiate contact with Mr. Atkinson to determine what he was doing and if he lived or worked there. The (Professional Standards Unit) sergeant hand-searched each of Officer Smylys stops and looked for any disparities based on the race of the individual contacted, the report read. "I believe that this man had approached me because I'm a black male in an all white town. Lawrence's arrest came later and with less fanfare. The city added that Smyly resigned . The training of the additional officers who arrived on scene contributed to the resolution of this incident without further escalation or injury. 2701 Lawrence Street, Suite 100 During this period, the subject officer repeatedly asked Mr. Atkinson to stop and advised him that he was obstructing a police officer. Click here to read this article in its entirety at www.dailycamera.org, Rathod | Mohamedbhai LLC 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. All of the additional officers responding reported that they believed this to be a serious situation because of what they knew from the radio traffic, the report states. In a statement released on Thursday, The city of Boulder announced that an investigation found that Smyly violated two police department policies: He asked Smyly if he would fire the weapon if he didnt put the trash grabber down. The Boulder Police Department concluded an internal investigation on the March 1 incident when officers, two of them with guns drawn, confronted Zayd Atkinson.. But sometimes there's just no excuse for police behavior. "Shouldn't that be enough for you?". Funny he changed his display name to John S., but didn't change the URL from his full name. <p>In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd . That identification card, the same size as a driver's license or credit card, displayed Mr. Atkinson's name and photo. The Moving can be an exciting experience. The statement did not release any terms of the settlement. In our review of (the sergeants) work, we did the same and confirmed there were no apparent racial disparities reflected in Officer Smylys number of stops, duration of stops, types of stops, reasons for stops, results of stops, use of (body-worn camera) during stops, or searches of people he stopped.. Examined. Telephone: 303-578-4400 He is originally from Hawaii and enjoys the beach, camping, golf, beer and writing third-person bios about himself that exaggerate how outdoorsy he is. Additionally, the City arranged for the departure of the officer. New video shows the heated encounter that went viral back in March -- a black man confronted by a Boulder police officer while picking up trash in his own yard. Atkinson threatened to sue . You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. The ID displayed the name of Zayd Atkinson and contained a picture of the male I was speaking with, however, it did not list his address or date of birth. how many wives does mufti menk havemr patel neurosurgeon cardiff 27 februari, 2023 / i how old was stewart granger when he died / av / i how old was stewart granger when he died / av ABC News' Nicholas Coulson and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report. and his friend also told officers Atkinson was a . They are precious, and they are very hard to repair once broken. I'm not doing anything illegal, and you're not going to f------ tase me," Atkinson said in the video. New video shows the heated encounter that went viral back in March -- a black man confronted by a Boulder police officer while picking up trash in his own yard. Zayd Atkinson a university student of Naropa was held at gunpoint by 6-7 Caucasian Police Officers for simply picking up trash on his property. The body camera videos, the police reports . Newly-released body camera video shows how it all started. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Video and reports of the incident, during which Atkinson was repeatedly asked for identification showing he lived at . There are still liberal snowflakes trying to stir up indignation over the overblown drama of the Zayd Atkinson incident. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); True life tales of a homeless man in Boulder, CO. Smyly contacted Atkinson March 1 outside Naropa student housing at 2333 Arapahoe Ave. as Atkinson was picking up trash with a long metal claw. ", "I thought that once the firearm was out that that meant that he was going to try to kill me," Atkinson told "Good Morning America" in an interview airing Friday. After other officers arrived Atkinson berated them for many minutes for their response to a non-situation. James Harden surprises fan paralyzed in MSU shooting with FaceTime call and donation, 2 million air fryers recalled due to fire and burn hazards, Students speak out about bullying after fellow student dies by suicide, Digital Deals & Steals celebrating women-owned businesses, (MORE: Charlottesville schools closed over 'racially charged' online threat), (MORE: Colorado police under investigation after viral video shows them pulling guns on black man), (MORE: After blacks kicked off juries, Mississippi man claims racial bias at Supreme Court), (MORE: Man charged after screaming racial slurs, wielding gun on video). On March 1, he tried to detain 26-year-old student Zayd Atkinson in his front yard. [ Pasco County Sheriff's Office ] Nedra Miller . Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Tracking the drought: Map shows conditions across SF Bay Area, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, a black man confronted by a Boulder police officer. When demonstrators took to the . Smyly, a 14-year veteran of the department, resigned from active duty on May 16. A black man in Colorado said he hasn't slept well since he was traumatized by a group of white police officers who held him at gunpoint and detained him while he was picking up trash in front of his home. A Boulder police officer approached Atkinson on foot, asking him what he was doing . The vast majority of young black men who are shot and killed fall victim to other young black men NOT to police officers of any color. Will Denver voters elect a mayor who will stop enabling homelessness. Such is the case of Boulder, Colo., police officer John Smyly over his interaction with Zayd Atkinson on March 1st this year. . Hogwash! Other officers arrived on scene and a standoff ensued. Hundreds of people marched Sunday to the Boulder Police Department, passing near the site where an officer detained 26-year-old Zayd Atkinson on March 1. The City of Boulder concluded the investigation into a March 1, 2019 incident involving an encounter between Zayd Atkinson and Boulder Police officers. Two elected officials did direct comments to Lawrence. HuffPost reports that Officer John Smyly violated two department policies when confronted Zayd Atkinson, including public trust and conduct. New video shows moment Boulder officer pulled gun on black man picking up trash in own yard. Smyly contacted Atkinson March 1 outside Naropa student housing at 2333 Arapahoe Ave. as Atkinson was picking up trash with a long metal claw. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. An officer had drawn his gun as Atkinson picked up trash outside his dorm. But Smyly kept insisting Atkinson tell him his unit number, wanting further proof that he lived there. In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd Atkinson poses for a photo. 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