This isnt regular business hours, theres no customers in here. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.. Another said, "I am incensed! Cronin's departure comes on the heels of Sgt. The protest, which featured a diverse array of Black speakers in the community, including Marin residents Paul Austin and Amber Allen-Peirson, called for police reformation, community reparations, and institutionalized changes to prevent further racial profiling. 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. Critics of Khalif say he was argumentative and antagonizing the officers from the start, and that he could have just showed his ID and quickly ended the incident. On Aug. 21 at about 1 a.m., police officers confronted the couple, who were inside their shop. Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying [Sgt. TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. Thats all we want to know, Blasi says. At the conclusion of the investigation, the findings will be presented to her and the rest of the Tiburon Town Council. A Tiburon police sergeant has resigned following a confrontation with a Black merchant that critics say stemmed from racial profiling. The county settled a lawsuit by Grimes family for nearly $1 million. 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. / CBS San Francisco. Chief Michael Cronin is resigning after 12 years amid a blacklash over his handling of the George Floyd protests and a recent incident involving an officer and the only Black clothing store owner in Tiburon. CNN values your feedback 1. In the post, 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. It was a nearby business owner who yelled to officers that Khalif owned the business, which diffused the situation. The off-camera speaker presumably makes reference to the June 2020 fatal police shooting of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks, who was shot after allegedly grabbing a police officer's Taser, following a . They opened the athletic apparel boutique in February. Emergency Operations Center 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. To be fair, some more than others.. The argument continued for a few more minutes, with both Blasi and Khalif raising their voices. Cronin will step down on Sept. 13 after serving 12 years as the chief of police, according to a statement released by Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis. Many speakers provided meaningful suggestions and identified specific actions the councils could consider to ensure our communities are safe and welcoming to all, Chanis said. The recording shows a Tiburon officer, identified as supervising Sgt. Put your key in the door and were out of here. If I tell you its my store, then what? Khalif responded. In 1999 the department moved into its current location at 1155 Tiburon Blvd. Reporter Hannah Weikel covers the city of Belvedere, as well as crime, courts and public safety issues on the Tiburon Peninsula. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Mayor Alice Fredericks issued an apology on Saturday and went in person to talk to the store owners on Monday. After a few minutes, Blasi and another officer arrived, which is when the interaction starts being recorded. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Awash noted they had been in the shop until about 2 or 3 a.m. the day before. Video @sherlavars pic.twitter.com/WH5S9Sktxu. Michael Blasi, resigned in the aftermath. "There's three Black people in the store, what's the problem?" Blasi will receive three months of salary from Tiburon as severance pay, Chanis said. 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. We do not need to prove to police that we deserve to be at our clothing store way past business hours.. In one response, Blasi explained that police are not able to detain a person without a lawful, articulable reason and compel them to identify themselves. Blasi offered, and the town has accepted, his voluntary resignation.. It first operated from 80 Main Street before moving in the late 70s into surplus military housing near its present site. What is it that theyre fearing?. Then show me its your store, Blasi responds. I think of all of the very late nights I have worked in those offices and never once did the police come by to see who was there as I sat at my desk clearly visible in the window, she wrote in an citizen complaint to Cronin that was shared with The Ark. Awash says shes been stopped in her car by a single officer three to five times in the past year and a half. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? In August 2020, Yema Khalif and his wife Hawi Awash both Black were in their store in Tiburon when white police officers approached them demanding that the couple show proof that they owned the store. An autopsy found cocaine, alcohol, morphine, codeine and a Valium equivalent in his system, as well as signs of coronary disease that could have helped trigger heart failure, a pathologist said. Ive not been feeling the reality of it. On Thursday, the city of Tiburon and city of Belvedere held a joint virtual community meeting with all sides reacting to the incident. Assistant Editor Emily Lavin contributed to this report. Then finally, the cop decided to come knock on our store door. Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying [Sgt. In response to public outcry, Blasi offered his resignation from the Tiburon Police department, which went into effect September 1. As the recorded interaction passes the 5-minute mark, a neighbor farther down Main Street came out onto his balcony and yelled at the officers that Khalif was the owner of the store. However, he believes it would be difficult to continue being effective as a police officer in Tiburon.. 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. Awash said both she and Khalif have been heartened by the support from the Tiburon community, with both reiterating they feel lucky to live in town. It is clear that did not occur in this instance.. She said that included conversations about how police officers can re-examine their implicit biases and eliminate their own fear on the job. 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. A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. They refused to leave until I proved it, Khalif said in the post. After Khalif asks four times what happens next if he acknowledges it is, Blasi says Khalif should be grateful that the officers are looking out for his shop. The former chief, Michael Cronin, retired in September after a public backlash over an incident involving two Black store owners. 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.. A Black. Then show me that its your store, said the officer. Blasi offered, and the town has accepted, his voluntary resignation." TIBURON, Calif. - A Tiburon couple who own a clothing store is accusing police of racially profiling them. Ste. The couple met at Dominican University. In our 50th year serving Tiburon, Belvedere & Strawberry. One of our business friend was visiting us from washing DC so he came with us. 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. One of several discussion threads on Nextdoor.com had racked up 234 comments by the Arks press deadline. Mayor Alice Fredericks on Aug. 22 sent out an email to the community apologizing to Khalif and Awash. I sat in on these interviews, but did not participate, Chanis said. Awash was born in Ethiopia and lived as a refugee in Kenya before moving with her family to Minnesota. You know what, put the key in the door and were outta here., Khalif is seen picking through his keys as he tells Blasi to stand back and not raise his voice at him: Just chill and Ill put my key in the door., Before he can, neighbor Ken Simpson, a part-time resident of a Main Street apartment, yells down twice, Thats his store.. He previously worked at The San Francisco Chronicle as a Bay Area news editor and the Oakland Tribune as a senior news editor. It was organized by Marin City Matters a social activist group created in response to police Chief Michael Cronins warning to residents on June 2 that Sausalito and Tiburon might be targets for unrest linked to a Marin City demonstration over the death of George Floyd during an arrest in Minneapolis. Michael Blasi demanded Khalif and 2 other Black ppl prove they were allowed to be in the store. Both Khalif and Awash said they noticed a Tiburon police car driving slowly by their storefront while they were working inside with their friend about 1 a.m. Aug. 21. It sparked widespread outrage within the community and prompted town officials to order an independent investigation into the officers conduct. Michael Blasi, becoming more frustrated and confrontational with Khalif, who also appears exasperated with the interaction, as the minutes go by. Critics of the officers handling of the incident note that Blasi did not de-escalate the encounter on his arrival. She said that included conversations about how police officers can re-examine their implicit biases and eliminate their own fear on the job. I expressed to him that there was no crime going on and we were going about our business. Tiburon officials say an independent investigation is now underway, which is the reason why officers were not at Thursday's meeting. Monaghans collaborative approach and demonstrated commitment to creating meaningful community engagement really set him apart from other candidates, Chanis said. 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. I have been stopped for taking a walk to my house. Next time, just walk and the audio and video cut out. The town announced Blasis resignation on Tuesday. Cronin quickly apologized, saying he stood in support of peaceful protests in Marin City and condemned racism, social injustice and police brutality. - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. 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. Officers from both the Tiburon and Belvedere police departments arrived that August 2020 night around 1 a.m., when Khalif, Awash and a friend were stocking clothes at the upscale boutique on . Blasi begins asking the same questions as the first officer, including what the three were doing there late at night. It looked like they were harassing him and I thought, This has gone on for several minutes. 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. Chanis said neither Cronin nor Blasi are able to comment due to the pending investigation. His tone not very like-able. Tiburon, CA - A Tiburon police sergeant fatally shot himself inside the police department headquarters while on duty on Monday, according to authorities. Awash also noted the tone of the officer, saying he came off a little bit aggressive and suspicious. She said he didnt identify himself or ask if they were working late. Belvedere City Manager Craig Middleton said one of the officers who was acting in a backup role is employed with Belvedere Police Department. D, Tiburon, CA 94920 |. It is unclear whether or not the police received a 911 call that prompted their presence at YEMA late that night. "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 cannot fathom how that could happen. About 6 minutes of cellphone footage of the encounter with the supervisor, Tiburon police Sgt. 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. Michael Blasi was the supervising officer on Aug.. In a later interview, Simpson said he was concerned by the way the three officers were surrounding Khalif. The argument continued for a few more minutes, with both Blasi and Khalif raising their voices. 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