We do not need to prove why we need to exist, Khalif said. One of the. California Attorney General Rob Bonta launched an independent investigation Wednesday into the Torrance Police Department after evidence emerged that officers were sharing racist and homophobic . Then show me that its your store, said the officer. 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. Cronin said he wasnt aware of Blasis involvement in the Grime case when the department hired him last year. In it, the officers, who first note that Khalif is in the store at 1 a.m., past the typical 9 p.m. shut-down time for activity on the street, can be heard repeatedly demanding that Khalif prove his ownership of the business, either by showing identification or putting his key in the shops door. ", Supervisor: "Then show me that it's your store. On Aug. 21 at about 1 a.m., police officers confronted the couple, who were inside their shop. That seemed to satisfy the officers, and they promptly left without the proof they had demanded for roughly 10 minutes. September 8, 2020 / 7:45 PM This street closes at 9 oclock at night, and theres never anybody in here. Awash began recording as Sgt. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith were fired on Jan. 20 after an administrative investigation found they had violated department policy on the. We are inside the store minding our business, All store lights are on and you can see us from outside because we have high windows all around the store. This isn't regular business hours, there's no customers in there. At the conclusion of the investigation the report will be provided to the Town Manager for review and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the investigator.". Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life, Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do. I cannot fathom how that could happen. TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- On Thursday night, a four-hour, heated virtual community meeting took place over an incident that happened in the small North Bay city of Tiburon, California. At the conclusion of the investigation the report will be provided to the Town Manager for review and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the investigator, Cronin said. After the panel interviews, I met with each finalist for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, and then each finalist had the opportunity to tour the police station.. Mayor Alice Fredericks on Aug. 22 sent out an email to the community apologizing to Khalif and Awash. The Black owners of a business in Tiburon have settled a racial profiling claim with the town for $150,000 and the establishment of a police advisory council. A Tiburon police sergeant has resigned following a confrontation with a Black merchant that critics say stemmed from racial profiling. Cronin quickly apologized, saying he stood in support of peaceful protests in Marin City and condemned racism, social injustice and police brutality. What is it that theyre fearing?. A place where Ive lived for nine and a half years? Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. She said she used to work for Frank Howard Allen Realtors when it had a storefront office in downtown Tiburon. The town announced Blasis resignation on Tuesday. After Floyds death and ahead of a peaceful June 2 protest in Marin City, Cronin sparked outrage among the community after he issued a statement warning residents to be wary should the demonstration become violent or lead to looting on the Tiburon Peninsula neither of which happened. I do not have any intention of removing them at this time, Cronin said. He also holds a masters degree in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. ", The community meeting comes after the city released body cam video showing the back and forth between both sides. There's video of the interaction and an investigation underway. Tiburon officials have released body-camera footage from the first officer at the scene of a late-night confrontation between police and Black business owner Yema Khalif, who asserts he was racially profiled when questioned at his downtown shop. 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. Grime, 47, was placed in a hobbling device, binding his handcuffs to ankle restraints behind his back. After Cronins exit, the town arranged for Undersheriff Jamie Scardina to run the police department on a part-time interim basis while a consulting firm recruited a new chief. Another said, "I am incensed! Ste. A key component of that training is the expectation that our officers will utilize de-escalation techniques in situations like there. On August 21, a recording of three officers, including Blasi, went viral on Instagram where they can be heard questioning Yema Khalif, the owner of YEMA, which is the only Black-owned clothing store in Tiburon. 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. Davina Adjani, a protest organizer, said the might be postponed in light of the resignation, but that Cronin is still a problem for hiring Blasi despite the red flags in his past. We welcome and encourage your thoughts and comments. Michael Blasi was the supervising officer on Aug. 21 during the incident at Yema, a clothing store on Main Street. Khalif, a resident for nearly 10 years, says hes been stopped while walking home and had to prove that he lives in Tiburon. A 6-minute video of the incident was posted to Instagram and Facebook by Yema Khalif, the co-owner of the action fashion wear boutique Yema at 10 Main St. Monaghan has taught administration of justice at the San Mateo Community College District. One of our business friend was visiting us from washing DC so he came with us. On Thursday, the city of Tiburon and city of Belvedere held a joint virtual community meeting with all sides reacting to the incident. The neighbor, Ken Simpson, lives in his Main Street apartment part-time and said hes also accustomed to hearing noise from patrons and employees of downtown restaurants late at night, but the yelling that woke him up about 1:15 a.m. Aug. 21 sounded like it was escalating quickly. In addition to normal police activities, the police station also houses the Emergency Operations Center, which is equipped to manage disaster response for Tiburon and Belvedere. This is around 1AM. The people in the store included co-owners Yema Khalif and Hawai Awash, the only Black store owners in town. Community members pointed out Cronin had only issued a warning for the protest in Marin City, which is 61 percent non-white, including 38 percent Black, and had issued no such warnings for similar peaceful protests in other nearby predominantly white communities, including Mill Valley. It was more like, Who are you guys, what are you doing in this store, you must identify yourselves and prove why you are here, she said. "He has fostered partnerships, communication, and trust within our community, and his philosophy toward successful law enforcement practices has substantially moved our department forward.". FYI, we didnt realize that when he was circling the block he was calling for back up. In 2004, Blasi was one of the deputies involved in a wrongful death lawsuit after a 47-year-old man named Cary Grime was arrested and hogtied in Novato. The former chief, Michael Cronin, retired in September after a public backlash over an incident involving two Black store owners. today at a #BlackLivesMatter rally in response to a standoff in which Sgt. Body cam and cell phone footage shows the altercation as it unfolds. Khalif, who has lived in Tiburon for nearly 10 years, and Awash are well-known in the Tiburon business community. You sound very defensive.. I cannot lie and say Im OK. Im traumatized and my wife is traumatized.. I want to know what you're doing in the store at 1 o'clock in the morning.". Please enter valid email address to continue. Monaghans starting annual salary is $195,000, which is 3% less than Cronins salary, Chanis said. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. First hired by the Belvedere Police Department in 2017, Blasi is considered a supervisor in Tiburon, where he earns an annual salary of $99,888 with a $20,324 benefits package. Tiburon police officers are trained and held to the highest standards of conduct. Blasi and two other officers then leave. Reach her at 415-944-4627. Critics also note the officers finally left without the proof they said was required for 11 minutes only when a white Main Street resident who overheard the confrontation shouted, Thats his store.. U.S. California Police Instagram. Criminal-law experts and civil-liberties organizations say there is no requirement to produce identification even when detained unless youre operating a motor vehicle, which requires state-issued certification, or you have been arrested or booked for a crime. TIBURON (KPIX/CBS SF) -- The police chief of the City of Tiburon is stepping down , according to a report in the Marin Independent Journal. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying [Sgt. ", In the video you can hear the supervisor say, "You should be grateful that we're being as diligent as we are to look out for the street, that's all we do.". The lawyer will interview the people involved in the incident starting mid-September. Ste. A percentage of all sales are donated to Road to Freedom Scholarships for the education of orphaned children in Ethiopia and Kenya, a program that was started by Danish actress and part-time Tiburon resident Connie Nielsen. A Black. Blasi was hired last year by the department after more than 15 years at the Marin County Sheriffs Office as a SWAT team leader, investigator and gang task-force officer. 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. During the arrest, Grime fell unconscious and died in the hospital two days later. We do not need to prove to police that we deserve to be at our clothing store way past business hours.. Proceeds from clothing sales help send orphans go to school. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? Khalif replies, No, just doing our thing and asks if theres a problem. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? A video depicting Tiburon police officers in heated exchange with the owner of the town's only Black-owned business while working late in his downtown shop has sparked outrage in the. Tiburon officials have released body-camera footage from the first officer at the scene of a late-night confrontation between police and Black business owner Yema Khalif, who asserts he was racially profiled when questioned at his downtown shop. Two Black merchants who allege racial profiling by police in Tiburon and Belvedere are demanding $2 million from the municipalities. 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. 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.. This isnt regular business hours, theres no customers in here. Again, the exchange goes in circles, but tensions rise as Madfes shouts past Khalif to ask Awash and the friend, still standing at the checkout counter to the rear, Do one of you two here own the store or have any reason to be here?, Khalif speaks over him: No, do not talk to anybody, you talk to me, youre talking to me right now., Tensions escalate further when Madfes tells Khalif, This town is my duty to protect.. It is clear that did not occur in this instance.. This street closes at 9 oclock at night, and theres never anybody in here. Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying [Sgt. I want to know what youre doing in this store at one oclock in the morning? one of the officers is heard asking in the clip. ORIGINAL STORY: Tiburon police demand Black business owner prove who he is, Two videos show an officer saying, "This street closes at 9 o'clock at night and there's never anybody in here. The newly released body-cam footage appears to highlight this further, with clearer audio than the cellphone footage that also shows a stark contrast between Blasis demeanor and that of Madfes, who speaks calmly throughout the first half of the video while Blasi then frequently shouts over Khalif and tells him he should be grateful. Other business owners have come forward to say that on the rare occasions they work late into the night, they've never been stopped and questioned at all, while Khalif was not only interrogated, Madfes had already called for backup before he first knocked on the door. Sgt. Khalif said he wasnt particularly impressed with that statement. Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, FL Gov. DeSantis coming to CA as new poll shows him leading Trump, Ice flies off SUV, smashing windshield: 'You could kill somebody'. If you have a problem, you tell me . And he wanted us to prove who we are. It came from knowing that in one split second they could end someones life.. One of several discussion threads on Nextdoor.com had racked up 234 comments by the Arks press deadline. The argument continued for a few more minutes, with both Blasi and Khalif raising their voices. Other downtown business owners rallied around the couple, saying theyve never been questioned by police while working late into the evening, past closing time, including Chelsea Ialeggio, a real-estate agent who said she has had offices in town with both Frank Howard Allen and now at Vanguard Properties. During hours when the department is closed, visitors can be directly connected to our dispatch center via a phone outside our front entrance. Then we see Tiburon police car patrolling. Khalif and Awash say, however, that they shouldnt be required to repeatedly identify themselves to police to prove who they are and that they belong in town. Michael Blasi demanded Khalif and 2 other Black ppl prove they were allowed to be in the store. The county settled with Grimes family for nearly $1 million. CNN Pittsburgh has moved to fire five police officers after an internal investigation into the October death of a man involved in the suspected theft of a bicycle, officials said Wednesday. "Since becoming Police Chief in 2007, the impact of Mikes leadership has been significant for Tiburon," Chanis said. The incident, early last Friday morning, is now the subject of an independent . CNN values your feedback 1. It was unclear why late Aug. 26 Tiburon released the extended video, in which the previously unidentified Tiburon patrol officer, Isaac Madfes, speaks his first name aloud. He doesn't believe that would have happened if he was white. A Tiburon police sergeant has resigned following a confrontation with a Black merchant that critics say stemmed from racial profiling. "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. 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. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? Blasi begins asking the same questions as the first officer, including what the three were doing there late at night. In these conversations, Sergeant Blasi expressed his love for Tiburon and described the deep connection he developed during his time serving the community, Chanis wrote in a message to residents. Simpson, who is familiar with Khalif, said he was concerned by the way the three officers were surrounding him, so he yelled down to confirm Khalif was the owner. Police officers in a California town have been accused of racial profiling after confronting a Black business owner who . 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