Boulder has agreed to pay $95,000 to Sammie Lawrence, a Black man arrested in 2019 while filming a police interaction with unhoused individuals. A cellphone video shot by a neighbor that went viral in March showed Smyly holding his weapon amid the confrontation. Here are some ways you can help. Zayd Atkinson, the Naropa University student who was detained on his front doorstep . The citysettled with Atkinson in March 2020 for $125,000. Reporting Officer: SMYLY, J. The officer decided to self-initiate contact with Mr. Atkinson, According to the incident summary, the reason Smyly decided to monitor the student is that he saw Mr. Atkinson manipulating an unknown object in his left hand as he held it close to his mouth, prompting him to drive closer to Mr. Atkinson to see what he was doing.. "It definitely brings fear to my heart knowing that some people don't survive. 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. He said he gave the officer his ID and key card for the building, but the situation escalated as Atkinson refused to acquiesce when the officer ordered for him to sit down. Video and reports of the incident, during which Atkinson was repeatedly asked for identification showing he lived at the property he was cleaning, made local and national headlines and led to the city revamping public oversight of Boulder Police Department. They unanimously approved the payout Tuesday. 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. In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd Atkinson poses for a photo. <p>In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd . "Boulder is essentially saying we're going to pay this officer and let him resign for threatening Zayd's life, for racially profiling Zayd," said Atkinson's attorney, Siddhartha Rathod. Previous post: Report: Jessica Aldama died after stillborn delivery in homeless encampment, Next post: Guest opinion: The housing Boulder refused to build, Change made to existing documents, resolutions, or ordinances. . May 16, 2019 / 5:17 PM While the stop itself was wrong, some things were done right during the encounter itself. Smyly said he was concerned Atkinson might have been trespassing. Email your thoughts to boulderbeatnews@gmail.com, Police arrests Boulder Boulder Police Department city council city of Boulder cops lawsuit officers police reform Sammie Lawrence settlement use of force Waylon Lolotai Zayd Atkinson. https://old.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/cijav8/officer_pulling_out_his_gun_on_a_student_outside/. 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. Thats a gun, Zayd Atkinson said, according to the body camera footage. Covering City Council and Sundry, with flair, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022 (Updated Tuesday, Jan. 4). Officer Smyly, an Anglo male, decided to question why Zayd Atkinson was there. This news doesnt write itself. Mr. Atkinson should not have been stopped. This is one of those bad-apple cops the citizens of the country should keep track of. Boulder Beat. We would immediately lose our jobs." A phone number for Smyly could not be located Thursday. He found none. Smyly contacted Atkinson March 1 outside Naropa student housing at 2333 Arapahoe Ave. as Atkinson was picking up trash with a long metal claw. After other officers arrived Atkinson berated them for many minutes for their response to a non-situation. Funny he changed his display name to John S., but didn't change the URL from his full name. "You're an idiot. Backup officers who were called to the scene and led by a sergeant quickly determined that Mr. Atkinson lived in the building and was engaged in his work study job. The Boulder police officer who confronted a black Naropa student picking up trash outside his residence in March was . I'm blessed that I got out alive and unharmed," he said. Zayd Atkinson, 26, said it's been more than a month since a group of officers racially profiled him in a predominantly white neighborhood in Boulder, Colorado, but he's still fighting to overcome the "traumatic experience. Was there a perspective we missed, or facts we didnt consider? Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. Telephone: 303-578-4400 Box 21315 Boulder, CO 80301. Prolonged litigation will adversely impact those efforts. During this period, the subject officer repeatedly asked Mr. Atkinson to stop and advised him that he was obstructing a police officer. During his interview, the subject officer stated that at this point, he was unaware of Mr. Atkinsons race, because he had only seen him from a distance and approached him from behind, the incident summary states. Per Boulders charter, settlements over $10,000 have to be OKd by city council. and his friend also told officers Atkinson was a . The City of Boulder concluded the investigation into a March 1, 2019 incident involving an encounter between Zayd Atkinson and Boulder Police officers. Im picking up trash and youre holding a gun.. Prolonged litigation will adversely impact those efforts. They said they didn't find any evidence of racial profiling. Zayd Atkinson was the subject of a viral video in which he was surrounded by 8 Boulder Police officers, some of them brandishing firearms, as he was picking up garbage outside of his home. 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Fax: 303-578-4401. The Daily Camera reported that Lolotai left after his home address was posted publicly by activists. 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. 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. According to the police report, Smyly asked Atkinson . More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. "I believe that this man had approached me because I'm a black male in an all white town. "Give him his ID back and we're outta here," one of the officers is heard saying. Click here to read this article in its entirety at www.dailycamera.org, Rathod | Mohamedbhai LLC Answer (1 of 9): "What probable cause did police have when they attempted to investigate Zayd Atkinson, a student at Naropa University, when he was picking up trash outside of his dorm?" I wonder, Dear Questioner, why you believe "probable cause" is the standard needed for a police officer to st. "The officer's on a paid vacation right now; he's on a taxpayer paid vacation and he's at home being paid now for pointing a gun at a black man," Rathod told "GMA." The footage shows Smyly investigating Atkinson for trespassing. "Officers ultimately determined that the man had a legal right to be on the property and returned the mans school identification card," the department said in a statement last month. "If you or I were to do this, we would be criminally charged. Cookie Notice The investigation found officer John Smyly violated two department policies and determined: The Moving can be an exciting experience. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); True life tales of a homeless man in Boulder, CO. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News . Several officers responded, including a supervisor, according to the police department. Atkinson showed a Naropa ID but at one point refused to comply with the officer's orders anymore and began picking up trash once more. Once the additional officers who arrived assessed the situation, they used appropriate de-escalation techniques and left. City council is set to approve the payout during a special Monday night meeting , the only non-coronavirus item on the agenda. 7On a seemingly normal morning in March of 2019, Zayd Atkinson was picking up trash outside of his . ", "I just told you I lived here and I told you that I'm working as well," 26-year-old Zayd Atkinson responded. The report released with the body camera footage noted the officer did not have authority to detain Mr Atkinson, or probable cause to . The settlement has been reported to be a sum of $125,000. Under a settlement with the city, Smyly will remain on Boulders payroll until February 2020. When Smyly asked for more information, Atkinson refused and walked away. "I continued to go back to work and pick up trash and clean up my grounds.". 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 . Smyly asked Atkinson if he was permitted to be in the location. . 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. Atkinson was holding a bucket and a metal trash picker in front of his residence on March 1, when a Boulder police officer confronted him and asked him if he was permitted to be there. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); copyright 2023. The City of Boulder concluded the investigation into a March 1, 2019 incident involving an encounter between Zayd Atkinson and Boulder Police officers. "Not only that you know I'm a black man, I have dreads. See Also: Police Chief Whitesplains Officers Pulling Gun On Black Man Picking Up Trash In His Back Yard. Click here to sign up for a weekly newsletter, from Boulder Beat. Mr. Atkinson was picking up trash on his property and had not committed a crime. It l isted the main Naropa University address (2310 Arapahoe Avenue). Smyly resigned after the investigation found him in violation of department policy, but the department did not find any evidence his interaction with Atkinson was a result of racial profiling. The police internal investigation concluded Smyly violated department policy during the encounter with Atkinson, and the independent report backed those conclusions, saying Smyly made some pivotal mistakes including asking for Atkinsons date of birth when he was not entitled to that information and mistakenly believing he had reasonable suspicion that a crime was occurring. Newly-released body camera video shows how it all started. The statement did not release any terms of the settlement. / CBS Colorado. 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. The department issued a statement saying the "officer's decision to attempt to detain Mr. Atkinson was not supported by reasonable suspicion that Mr. Atkinson was committing, had committed, or was about to commit a crime, therefore he did not have authority to detain Mr. According to the police report, Smyly asked Atkinson if he lived there and Atkinson said he did, and provided his Naropa student ID. This settlement affords some measure of justice to Sammie Lawrence, said Dan Williams of Hutchinson Black and Cook, LLC, co-counsel for Boulder is set to issue a $125,000 settlement payment to Zayd Atkinson, the black Naropa University student who was confronted by a now-former city police officer last year while picking up trash outside his school housing unit. 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. The city of Boulder said theres no evidence to support a claim of racial profiling, but the incident makes one question why Smyly felt the need to even approach Atkinson? 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. Privacy Policy. "I had not done anything illegal therefore there was no reason for me to comply," Atkinson told "GMA." 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 document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Throw me some cash if you've got it so I can keep you informed. That lack of explanation solidified Mr. Atkinsons perception that he was not being treated honestly and fairly, which increased his agitation and heightened his berating of the officers.. Mr. Atkinson was picking up trash. The Moving can be an exciting experience. They are precious, and they are very hard to repair once broken. Boulder Police Officer John Smyly quit the police force after an investigation found he violated department policy when he drew his gun and attempted to detain 26-year-old Zayd Atkinson in March . Had Officer Smyly understood the law, the contact would have ended without trauma, the report read. Denver, Colorado 80205 Resources for the homeless in Boulder, CO, Zayd Atkinson aspires to be a perpetual victim (Im not buying it). An independent review of the police investigation of an interaction between an officer and a black Naropa University student concluded the investigation met or exceeded standards and was right in finding no evidence of racial profiling. If you use that weapon against me then yes, that is a consideration, Smyly responded. An officer had drawn his gun as Atkinson picked up trash outside his dorm. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Name Age in 2023 Role From Until; 1: Abdalla, Raja Aulia Rezza : Rep: 2015-01-29: 2015-02-03: 2: Abdullah, Hugh Idris : Zayd gave his name and confirmed that he lived at the location. The training of the additional officers who arrived on scene contributed to the resolution of this incident without further escalation or injury. . New video shows moment Boulder officer pulled gun on black man picking up trash in own yard. But Troyers report went on to recommend that Boulder not make any changes to its process. That's when the tense 22-minute stand-off ends. Your email address will not be published. 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. BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - John Smyly, a Boulder police officer, has resigned after his department says he violated two rules when he questioned and followed a Naropa University student who was outside his home. The body camera videos, the police reports and dispatch tapes related to the incident are available at https://t.co/Luru5y5XJk pic.twitter.com/1vquVsUp7u. Atkinson and the city are settling any potential claims arising from this interaction so that the parties may focus on the continued healing of both the community and Mr. Atkinson, the statement read. The Boulder Police Department said it placed the first officer on administrative leave while it investigated the incident. I was having very strange dreams and couldn't really sleep," Atkinson said. Nonetheless, Boulder established a new citizen oversight group and hired a moderator to serve as a liaison between the panel and the police department in matters of complaints. According to city records included in Lawrences lawsuit, Lolotai used force on residents 81 times between January 2017 and June 2020, including using his firearm to gain compliance 38 times. He drew his handgun after Mr. Atkinson stopped behind the building out of sight of the street. 0:24 - Zayd A. On March 1 Smyly stopped Atkinson while he was picking up trash next to the building he lives in using a pole and asked him numerous questions. Scroll down for video By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. "It was a frightening experience. Looking back on the incident, Atkinson says that when he saw the officer get out the stun gun, he thought 'Oh my gosh, he's going to shoot me.". Email your thoughts to, established a new citizen oversight group. 2019 incident involving an encounter between Zayd Atkinson and Boulder Police officers. 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