At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. When Zayde Atkinson refuses, Smyly threatens to tase him. Why would you think that you can tase me? All Rights Reserved. The city of Boulder, Colorado has reached a settlement with one of its police officers over racial profiling accusations. More officers -- 8 in total -- eventually arrived, some with guns drawn. An outside investigation confirmed the departments finding that the stop was not racially motivated, though many Boulder residents were not convinced by the reports. abcnews.go.com October 6, 2020 When Smyly asked for an address and date of birth, Atkinson walked away and began to pick up trash again. This is a clamp!" On March 1, 2019, black student Zayd Atkinson was confronted by Officer John Smyly while picking up litter outside his residence in Boulder, Colorado. Video of the incident from Smyly's body camera shows him detaining Atkinson without reasonable suspicion and then harassing the man. 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. Environmental Health Officer SMYLY, John William Correspondence address Ingleside, Brentor, Tavistock, United Kingdom, PL19 0NG . Smyly resigned prior to the conclusion of the disciplinary process, but police indicated the process would have likely resulted in suspension or termination. A video has surfaced of the entire incident unfolding: Officer Smyly did end up resigning before an investigation into the incident concluded. In the joint statement, the city acknowledged Atkinson should not have been stopped, and that the proper protocol would have been for the officer to walk away after Mr. Atkinson produced his student identification card and explained what he was doing.. Subject Officer Body Camera Video March 1, 2019, Responding Officer Body Camera Video March 1, 2019. See Photos. Atkinson later reached a settlement with the city. Cops don't know shit. Boulder police said it could not support a claim of racial profiling in the encounter, but Smyly was found to have violated two department policies. Smyly kept his weapon out until Atkinson put down the clamp. Join the Westword community and help support However, they are crucial to any rooms look and feel. Mitchell Byars has been reporting for the Daily Camera since 2011, covering breaking news and courts. 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. When Zayde Atkinson refuses, Smyly threatens to tase him. Atkinson was picking up trash outside his dormitory when a white police officer in . Student Zyad Atkinson and now-former Boulder police John Smyly. Conducted by a former U.S. Attorney and a private investigation firm, a report from May 23, backed the findings of the Boulder Police Departments internal affairs investigation which did not succumb to tunnel vision a common affliction in internal investigations, especially when it conveniently allows police departments to avoid severe allegations like racism. Smyly should have left. But sometimes there's just no excuse for police behavior. Atkinson is becoming upset by the officers relentlessness interrogation. John Smyly, a former Boulder Colorado Police officer detains a man, Zayde Atkinson with no RAS. When he refuses to ID the way the cop wants him to, John Smyly escalates the situation. 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. Anything else is just bullshit. According to the report, Atkinson raised his voice and Smyly felt threatened by the trash grabber and drew his stun gun and then drew his handgun. In this undated photo provided by lawyer Siddhartha Rathod, Zayd Atkinson poses for a photo. Smyly resigned prior to the conclusion of the disciplinary process, but as part of a settlement with the city he remained under city employment until February while exhausting accrued holiday, sick and administrative leave. Tell me I'm wrong . However, a disciplinary appeal process required by the police collective bargaining agreement likely would have overturned a termination of the officer, and he would have returned to duty after extensive additional delay. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, The Associated Press reports he will earn benefits and a salary during this time, The officer "did not have authority to detain Mr Atkinson", the department wrote in their report, US police accused of beating black officer, Bank calls police over black man's cheque, Mr Atkinson told local broadcaster CBS4 Denver, The student's lawyer, Siddhartha Rathod, told local newspaper the Denver Post that he was disappointed Mr Smyly had not been fired, Prince Andrew offered Frogmore Cottage - reports, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Eli Lilly caps monthly insulin costs in US at $35. According to the report, Smyly asked Atkinson if he lived in the building, which was Naropa student housing. That Atkinson was targeted for questioning at all is the innuendo the review ignores. Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Smyly was allowed to resign, and is likely working for another department at this time. 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. Mr. Atkinson received a settlement of $125,000. How do feel? Smyly then begins to demand Atkinson drop the grabber, even as hes picking up the trash. I go to school here. If you have information about the department Smyly is working for now, please email the information to realjamesfreeman@gmail.com, so I can publish it, warning potential new victims of his presence. But John is smart, and he uses his intelligence to further his white man's volition. ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc. Is that an Oops? John Smyly lost his police job. The City of Boulder concluded the investigation into a March 1, 2019 incident involving an encounter between Zayd Atkinson and Boulder Police officers. In a statement released on Thursday, The city of Boulder announced that an investigation found that Smyly violated two police department policies: He did not mention the incident in his resignation letter. A settlement is the best option for the city in the face of legal action, staff wrote in notes to city council. After noticing a "Private Property" sign near where the man was sitting, Smyly asked if he lived there. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. 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. PEDO PETE LANDS AT OCEANA NAVAL AIR STATION #FJB, PEDO PETE 1 (AIRFORCE 1) APPROACH TO OCEANA NAS, HIPAA 2.0 Infrared Rays Jax Health Dept revisit! Under a settlement with the department, Mr Smyly will stay on the city payroll until February 2020. Where is Officer Smyly now?The former Boulder police officer who resigned after pointing a gun at a Black Naropa student has taken a temporary civilian position with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. The job was publicly posted in 2019, Wagner said. John Smyly was found in violation of department policies and resigned in May 2019 after an internal investigation into Smylys encounter with Zayd Atkinson in Boulder on March 1, 2019. DeSantis won't say he's running. A police officer who was criticised after pulling a gun on a college student picking up rubbish outside his home in March has resigned after being investigated for the incident. Is on the property where he lives as a student and is working to clean up the garbage around the building. I wonder how a cop would feel if the person he was confronting gave a call and people start emerging from all round, surround the cop?It is downright creepy how they do this.What is worse is that no-one questions or clarifies the call out. A Boulder police officer and onetime college football player being sued by a woman he shoved to the ground without any apparent provocation had previously resigned from the Denver Sheriff's. Officers were able to talk to Atkinson and a Naropa employee who responded to the scene and confirmed Atkinson was a student and lived in the building. Around 8:20 a.m., he saw Zayd Atkinson, 26, of Boulder outside a building. And Smyly says thats the first time he gave him his unit (room) number. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. According to KDVR, the officer, John Smyly was found to have violated two department policies: police authority and public trust and conduct, but said that there was no evidence to support the claim that he racially profiled Zayd Atkinson, who is a student at Naropa University. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms. "If you or I did what Officer Smyly did to Zayd Atkinson, not only would we be immediately fired, we would be criminally prosecuted. At this point, Smyly called in for a cover car and told Atkinson he was obstructing a police officer and was detaining him and investigating him for trespass. Obviously, I still have things to learn.. Atkinson is by now very upset. Previous post: Coronavirus in Boulder County: No confirmed cases; officials urge calm, caution, Next post: Coronavirus in Boulder County: Officials urge public not to panic just stay away from other people, It is not possible to predict the outcome of a trial, the notes read, a standard caution that accompanies every large settlement that comes before council. Smyly says hes investigating a trespass. Bill Smyly in March 2016. Smyly is resigning but will "exhaust" his paid leave. Given the projected costs of litigation, the city attorney believes that it is unlikely that the city will be in a significantly better economic position by litigating the case as compared to accepting the settlement offer. Police body camera footage of the tense encounter was released on Thursday and showed Smyly approaching Atkinson asking if he lived or worked in the building where the student was using a metal clamp to pick up trash and put it in a bucket. 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