They opened the athletic apparel boutique in February. Khalif didn't answer the question, saying what people didn't see in the body cam video are the officers who had circled the business multiple times beforehand and had been watching them. The governing councils are to hold a joint online Town Hall-Community Forum on Aug. 27. Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying " [Sgt. This incident should alarm every resident in Tiburon, wrote Wolf. Its nice to see how the community has come together, and that they are saying what they want to see going forward, Khalif said. You know, this is not something that is good for the community when this happens, so when everybody has a voice, everybody gets involved, when everybody speaks up when they see any kind of an injustice happening not being bystanders makes the community better, Khalif said. A Change.org petition, signed by nearly 500 people by The Arks press deadline, called for the immediate suspension of Blasi and an investigation into the officers involved. Khalif posted the video to Instagram. Reach him at 415-435-2652, on Twitter at @thearknewspaper and on Facebook at fb.me/thearknewspaper. Khalif described seeing a lone police officer circle the block a number of times before stopping his patrol vehicle and knocking on the storefront door. I look forward to meeting and working with the engaged community members, our town leaders, allied agencies and especially all our town employees who are committed to providing the highest levels of service to everyone who lives, works and visits the town of Tiburon, Monaghan said. Where do you live? Madfes says. Khalif said despite previous negative encounters with police in town, he andAwash said they love Tiburon and the outpouring from the community, town manager and council members has given them hope. Named among the state's & nation's best small weeklies, 2014, 2018-2021 California News Publishers Association &, Tiburon releases body-cam footage of police questioning Black merchant, About 6 minutes of cellphone footage of the encounter with the supervisor, Tiburon police Sgt. The argument continued for a few more minutes, with both Blasi and Khalif raising their voices. I was not specifically aware of that event.. Khalif said he was wearing the same outfit as the mannequin he was standing next to while talking to police from the doorway. I do not have to show you nothing! replied Khalif. The settlement was announced. Monaghans starting annual salary is $195,000, which is 3% less than Cronins salary, Chanis said. ", Others responded with different views, saying that officers were just doing their job. Even after the supervisor walked away, the officer who first approached the store said, "Can you put the key in the door please?". On the night of the alleged racial profiling incident, Khalif, his wife, and a business friend, all of whom are Black, were at their store late at night counting inventory, according to a post on YEMAs Instagram account. Khalif then told the officers that they are are exercising unnecessary caution because there are three Black people in the store, according to the video. Reporter Hannah Weikel covers the city of Belvedere, as well as crime, courts and public safety issues on the Tiburon Peninsula. There's video of the interaction and an investigation underway. Also sacked were Sgt. The Police Department and Emergency Operations Center are also responsible for developing and maintaining the Emergency Operations Plan for the entire Tiburon Peninsula. Then show me its your store, Blasi responds. Khalif believes the best way Marin residents can express their solidarity is by not being bystanders to racist acts. Khalif, a resident for nearly 10 years, says hes been stopped while walking home and had to prove that he lives in Tiburon. The finalists were interviewed in person at Town Hall on Jan. 26 by Scardina, Public Works Director Steve Palmer, Community Development Director Dina Tasini and Administrative Services Director Suzanne Creekmore. Nearly all the comments expressed outrage with Tiburon police with calls to hold the officers accountable. About 5 minutes into the footage, Blasi arrives on the scene, though Khalif notes that a third officer has also arrived a Belvedere patrol officer who is off screen but can be seen through the window in the separate video taken from inside the store and posted by Khalif to social media. We do not need to prove to police that we deserve to be at our clothing store way past business hours.. Michael Blasi, becoming more frustrated and confrontational with Khalif, who also appears exasperated with the interaction, as the minutes go by. In an Aug. 24 interview, Awash had said the officers tone was aggressive and suspicious and that he didnt identify himself or ask if they were working late. Persons seeking assistance need only lift the phone to be connected with a dispatcher. TIBURON, Calif. . About 2 minutes into the video, Khalif says that if Madfes has a problem, call your chief of police, call whoever you wanna call at which point Madfes acknowledges his supervisor, Blasi, is already on his way, consistent with Khalifs previous accounts of the incident. Another said, "I am incensed! Really? Thats all we want to know, Blasi says. Is it your store? During hours when the department is closed, visitors can be directly connected to our dispatch center via a phone outside our front entrance. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? ", The business owner tells ABC7 News, "I did feel racially profiled. In response to public outcry, Blasi offered his resignation from the Tiburon Police department, which went into effect September 1. I still believe that the person at the head, Chief Cronin, needs to take some responsibility and do the same that Blasi did and step down, Austin said. What is it that theyre fearing?. Blasi offered, and the town has accepted, his voluntary resignation., On the night of the alleged racial profiling incident, Khalif, his wife. Is it your store? Thats when we knew he had already called for back up. The supervisor demanded Khalif put his key in the door to prove ownership when a neighbor shouted at police identifying him. On Aug. 21, Khalif issued a statement on the companys Facebook page explaining what had happened early that morning. Michael Blasi was the supervising officer on Aug. 21 during the incident at Yema, a clothing store on Main Street. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Laurie Nilsen is the Emergency Services Coordinator for both towns. It just felt like it was going to progress into something ugly., Khalif called the fact that the situation was diffused by a white neighbor yelling down to vouch for him the icing on the cake., A Black man cannot be in this space in this particular hour and say, Im OK, no need to be talking to you, move along. A Black man can not say that, but a white man can.. Maybe because I am a blonde caucasian there was no reason that they cared to check on why I was there or felt the need to make me get out my key to prove I belonged there.. The police chief of the wealthy Bay Area town of Tiburon has announced his retirement as the community reels over a confrontation between police and . How can policing be done with empathy," said Khalif. How they dont know Yema is beyond me, he said. There are three Black people in the store whats the problem with that?, Watch the video on Instagram at instagram.com/p/CEKwyUrJIdl. A patrol officer saw people in the store at 1 a.m. and questioned why they were there. Khalif spoke at the rally. The incident was recorded by Yema Khalifs wife and business partner Hawi Awash from inside their clothing store Yema on Main Street around 1 a.m. Friday. Cronin declined to directly comment on the Aug. 21 incident until the investigation has concluded, but he confirmed Blasi and the other officers involved would continue coming to work through the investigation. Khalif replies, No, just doing our thing and asks if theres a problem. All Rights Reserved. She stressed the importance to use the incident as a learning step.. Cronin denies his departure is linked to the incident. The video circulating on social media was recorded on Khalifs friends cellphone from inside the store and was posted to Yemas Instagram account, where it has been viewed nearly 45,000 times, and to its Facebook page, where it has been shared nearly 1,000 times, each garnering hundreds of comments. Ryan Monaghan, who has worked at the San Mateo department for 27 years, will start the new job on April 5. Next time, just walk and the audio and video cut out. Although Ryan Monaghan was not my choice, Im looking forward to working with him to find out what his plans are for community policing, diversity and inclusion, and hiring and promotion within the department, he said. Mayor Alice Fredericks on Aug. 22 sent out an email to the community apologizing to Khalif and Awash. How can policing be done better? Michael Blasi demanded Khalif and 2 other Black ppl prove they were allowed to be in the store. In a later interview, Simpson said he was concerned by the way the three officers were surrounding Khalif. This isnt regular business hours, theres no customers in here. Assistant Editor Emily Lavin contributed to this report. Our store alarm did not go off, no one called the police, everything was peaceful. We all want this to resolve in a positive way, she said, noting she hopes the incident sparks conversation about police reform and real policing that uses empathy to police our community.. Awash noted they had been in the shop until about 2 or 3 a.m. the day before. "Had that white neighbor not said anything that night, maybe Yema wouldn't be here with us today and I would let that sink in for a minute," Hawi Awash told ABC 7 News. I opened the door for him then he proceeded to tell me his purpose for knocking on our door was to check what we were doing at the store that late. His accomplishment was widely covered in the TV and print media, including in The Ark. Police Chief Michael Cronin said the town has engaged the services of an independent attorney to conduct an investigation into the incident. Is it your store? Michael Blasi was the supervising officer on Aug.. Emergency Operations Center During the arrest, Grime fell unconscious and died in the hospital two days later. An officers observations of perceived race, sex and age are standard when reporting in to dispatchers, as well as in logs and police reports. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. As the town of Tiburon deals with a controversy involving the Police Department and a Black-owned business, Police Chief Michael Cronin announced on Tuesday that he will retire, according to the Marin Independent Journal. I dont have to show anything to you, Khalif can be heard saying. Monaghan graduated from Union Institute and University in Sacramento with a bachelors degree in criminal justice management. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? Can you prove that its your store?, Khalif: I do not have to prove anything to you, its my store., Blasi: Oh my god, yes you do have to prove who you are., Khalif: I do not have to prove my existence to you.. In a later interview, Awash pointed out that there are large posters on the stores walls of both she and Khalif modeling their clothing. One of the. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. The department is open to the public. The county settled with Grimes family for nearly $1 million. "How can we do better as a community? "Since becoming Police Chief in 2007, the impact of Mikes leadership has been significant for Tiburon," Chanis said. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. Doesnt the business owner have some responsibility for not complying, which also couldve de-escalated the situation? asked Reedlands resident Elizabeth Shapiro on Nextdoor. The couple say they had received a large shipment of merchandise and that they and a visiting friend and business associate had been restocking the store to prepare for the weekend shortly before a patrol officer knocked on the door and questioned why they were there. I do not have any intention of removing them at this time, Cronin said. Khalif said he was entitled to be in the store, had no obligation to identify himself and accused police of being suspicious because the store occupants were Black. When a police officer leaves their department because of misconduct, there's no easy public way for people to know if they're rehired elsewhere in law enforcement. When we hire police, the police chief makes a recommendation, but the town manager approves every hire.. Khalif, an immigrant from Kenya, refused, arguing that police officers should know the business owners in the community. Tiburon police chief to retire amid backlash over alleged racial profiling, Restaurant chain slated to close site at Bay Area mall, Grapevine closed indefinitely due to heavy snow and ice, Graupel falls on Disneyland, shocks guests, One of the largest movie theaters in SF to close permanently, Plan to bring bullet train from LA to Vegas is underway, What it looks like inside Coit Towers former apartment, Avalanche slams into Tahoe apartment building amid blizzard, Hundreds of thousands of workers have abandoned downtown SF, 'Zero visibility' conditions: All roads to Tahoe are closed, Tahoe's snowfall totals are on track to break records, Popular yet divisive fast food chain coming to this Bay Area town, Report: Matthew McConaughey has a massive Salesforce paycheck, Why every Californian needs an air quality monitor, 10 beach essentials to pack for a spring break vacation, If travel planning gives you a headache, try these apps, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. Monaghan has taught administration of justice at the San Mateo Community College District. Other people defended the police actions, denying that there was any racial motivation behind the interaction and saying Khalif was in the wrong. Two Black merchants who allege racial profiling by police in Tiburon and Belvedere are demanding $2 million from the municipalities. Khalif recalled saying, you came here because you saw three Black people in the store.. The footage does not appear to contain an audio record of Madfes calling for backup Blasi, as well as the on-duty patrol officer for Belvedere who overheard the call and responded as standard operating procedure, according to Belvedere Police Chief Jason Wu, were already on their way to the scene suggesting the backup request took place before the body camera was switched on. Before Khalif was able to show the three officers that he had a working key to the store, an unnamed local can be heard from afar verifying that Khalif was the owner. This is around 1AM. Cronin said he wasnt aware of Blasis involvement in the Grime case when the department hired him last year. Some police officers have used digital media to brag about their racially violent exploits. Khalif said Fredericks came by the shop on Aug. 24, two days after she had sent out her email statement extending her heartfelt apologies to the couple. Cronin faced backlash in June following a press release that warned residents of Sausalito and Tiburon that they might be targets of unrest caused by a Marin City demonstration in protest of the murder of George Floyd, which remained peaceful. I opened our balcony door to Main Street, and I heard one of the officers saying, If this is your store, put your key in the door and prove it.. 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