Boulder Officer Resigns Following Confrontation
 

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 situation — which was captured on video — drew criticism for what student Zayd Atkinson said was an instance of racial profiling.

Smyly resigned on Wednesday before the start of a planned administrative hearing into the matter. The Boulder Police Department says the rules that were violated were conduct and violation of police authority and public trust.

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. 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. Smyly said he was concerned Atkinson might have been trespassing.

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. The officer requested backup and followed him, ordering him to sit down.

“I was not going to just fall in line again and just be a dog,” Atkinson told CBS4 on Thursday.

Smyly also threatened to use his stun gun on Atkinson because he “had a weapon,” referring to Atkinson’s pole.

“You’re an idiot. Why would you think that you could tase me? I’m freaking picking up trash on my property which is where I live. I’m not doing anything illegal, and you’re not going to f—— tase me,” Atkinson said in the video.

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.”

After other officers arrived Atkinson berated them for many minutes for their response to a non-situation.

The City of Boulder concluded the investigation into a March 1, 2019 incident involving an encounter between Zayd Atkinson and Boulder Police officers. 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

— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) May 16, 2019

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. Atkinson.” They said they didn’t find any evidence of racial profiling.

When asked about the resignation of Smyly, Atkinson said he’s glad “he’s being held accountable for something but it seems like it’s just bare minimum things.”

Smyly resigned under an agreement that allows him to collect $69,000 in salary

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even after the director at the college said he lived and worked there the pig keeps going. that roasted his ass on facebook. i hope he wins some money for school

Guy handled it perfectly.

This is how dope can drive peopl insane.. Let me thump you on the ear and question why your face turns red..

Sucks the cop gets to get paid for nothing.

Yeah fuck those psycho cops.. fucking ego trip from the start, he couldn't handle that the dude wasn't gonna take shit from him.

one other thing. you can not trespass without a complainant. who called the cops? i hope the lawyer can get that. would be funny as hell if it's a person that lives there.

you see how they stood on private property still talking shit? karma will deal with that. when he went to the back area the cop was on private property he had no right to access.

Here is another gem.. Cops take a guys gun & phone who was walking down the street. The phone was recording and it catches the 2 officers conspiring to frame the guy in order to cover their own asses..

oh man i have seen worse. can not talk about that though. man that is just about the lowest a cop can go. besides killing somebody

If I was the guy, white, black or green and dressed as a homelss man with baed hair, I would have put the stick down and would not call the cop dumb ass, fucking idiot etc...

The cop was profiling him no doubt, but the guy escalated the situation by being reckless. So ,he was right, but what good would it do to him with a bullet in his head.

He was a dumb ass and fucking idiot just like the cop.:2 cents:

if we all fold then this continues. you understand that? think about it. you see that group of police? why did they need 20 cops for a guy that they knew at that point was not a threat? at least people in that community know which cops are on the racist end.

You say that now, but I bet you would be outraged if some big ass black cop pulled you over, ordered you out of your car with your hands up while holding his hand on his gun.

Then tells you to spread eagle or lay on the ground. Later holds you in handcuffs for ",his safety" while asking you all sort of demanding questions but not answering your questions.

Then in the end he simply said, sorry you looked suspicious and we had to check you out..


Now multiply this happening by 10-15 times across your life because you were profiled. I'm sure you would remain completely ok with it the next 16th time it happened..

The unedited version shows you what a true power hungry asshole this cop is. I've posted it below.

that picture better be in the lawsuit. i will message him. you see the sergeant on the right of the building? he has both hands in his pockets!!! :1orglaugh:1orglaugh he's real afraid of the threat! the guy with tan pants

When the 13% stops commits 52% of violent crime maybe police wouldn't "harrass" them.

Behave and you'll get treated like a human being.

START HOLDING OTHERS WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIER BAD BEHAVIOR.

you sound like a tool as usual... :) he is a working college student. stop being the biggest customer of controlled substances :2 cents::2 cents:

OK be martyr then....Fine with me :thumbsup....maybe there are a few virgins left " up there" for all who want to be martyred...:1orglaugh

Since my early youth I was told:" do not argue" with:

1) policeman
2) taxman
3) customs agent

As aruguing with any of them is a "loose loose" situation.

This advice served me well for about 50 years...:thumbsup

Libs do not like certain statistics...:1orglaugh

Which sucks but it goes back to holding the rest of your community accountable. When you really break it down, it's something like 3% (black males 15-30yrs old) that commit 52% of the violent crime in a country of 300 fucking million+ people. That's nuts.

I don't know the exact statistics but something tells me when you break it down per-capita blacks are probably much more abusers of drugs considering 87% of whites are hard working, taxpaying, non-welfare using Americans. :pimp

Of course. Statistics, like the truth, hurt their fragile feelings.

But it does suck for the law abiding young blacks that get questioned like this but it shouldn't come to anyone's surprise that most young, inner-city blacks are up to no good.

Do better.

Hold others accountable and stop playing that victim card.

Would a white guy dressed like this guy, with his hair in the same style, unable to give a firm explanation of why he was there and with an awful attitude got in the same situation?

Then a black professor dressed in a nice jumper and slacks been asked to confirm his ID?

It's possible profiling goes beyond the colour of one's skin.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh