The confrontation also spurred a protest in front of the Tiburon Police Department on Saturday. The Police Department and Emergency Operations Center are also responsible for developing and maintaining the Emergency Operations Plan for the entire Tiburon Peninsula. One of several discussion threads on Nextdoor.com had racked up 234 comments by the Arks press deadline. A Black business owner believes he was racially profiled by police as he was filling inventory inside his store last Friday at 1 a.m. The supervising officer, Tiburon Sgt. After the video of the incident was posted on Yemas Instagram and went viral, discussion caught like wildfire across social media platforms. Michael Blasi, was posted by Khalif to social media later Aug. 21. Before opening their Tiburon storefront, the couple started selling their clothing online in 2016. Marin resident Chelsea Ialeggio, who was raised in Tiburon, said she is disgusted by the incident. "We are extraordinarily sad to report the loss. Tiburons Hank Easom was locally renowned sailor, After earthquakes, Tiburon resident seeks aid for native Turkey, Six vying for interim seat on Tiburon Town Council, Former mayor and longtime volunteer named Belvedere Citizen of the Year, Study details threat of water from below in combatting sea rise, Residents sound off, urge action at Belvedere coyote forum, Angel Island ferry to be states first all-electric short-run ferry, Angel Island honored for effort to turn historic hospital into museum, 2022 The Ark, AMMI Publishing Co. Inc. | 1550 Tiburon Blvd. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. @shaunking @beyonce @chakabars @lauraharrier @buzzfeed @nowthisnews @aljazeeraenglish @cnn @bbcnews @latimes @nytimes @wsj @ava @shondarhimes @kuz @kingjames @oprah @voguemagazine @essence @adutakech @tiffanyhaddish, A post shared by YEMA (@yemacalif) on Aug 21, 2020 at 3:33pm PDT. In response to public outcry, Blasi offered his resignation from the Tiburon Police department, which went into effect September 1. "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 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 said in an email to town officials. In our 50th year serving Tiburon, Belvedere & Strawberry. It is clear that did not occur in this instance.. 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. 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 . 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. Tiburon Town Hall | 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, CA 94920 | Phone: 415-435-7373. This incident should alarm every resident in Tiburon, wrote Wolf. I can no longer sit idle and watch the (Tiburon Police Department) inhumanely treat the citizens and business owners of our town. To the right in the video, a mannequin frequently is in view, just feet from Khalif, who has approached the door dressed in identical clothing distinctive, African-inspired athletic-leisurewear. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? First published on September 8, 2020 / 7:45 PM. However, Linda Emberson of Tiburon countered. Just seconds later, the interaction ended abruptly when a neighbor who lives farther down Main Street yelled from his balcony to confirm Khalif was the owner. Tiburon Town Council & Belvedere City Council Virtual Town Hall & Community Forum 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27. https://zoom.us/j/95644043303 or 669-900-6833, meeting ID 956 4404 3303. Blasi] believes it would be difficult to continue being effective as a police officer in Tiburon. ", 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.". Khalif said he wasnt particularly impressed with that statement. RELATED: Santa Clara University professor, her brother racially profiled by campus guards, In an emailed statement writing, "The Town is engaging the services of an outside, independent attorney to conduct an investigation of the incident involving a local business owner and Tiburon Police Officers on August 21 at 10 Main Street. At no point during the 11-minute exchange did either Tiburon officer assert any potential criminal or suspicious activity was occurring beyond their mere presence in the building at that hour. Michael Blasi, who resigned not long after he was videotaped confronting a Black business owner who was unloading inventory into his store at one in the morning, last August. "This street closes at 9 o'clock at night and there's never anybody in here. Doesnt the business owner have some responsibility for not complying, which also couldve de-escalated the situation? asked Reedlands resident Elizabeth Shapiro on Nextdoor. In 1999 the department moved into its current location at 1155 Tiburon Blvd. To be fair, some more than others.. "How can we do better as a community? Tiburon resident Nicole Wolf said she would like town officials to take it a step further and fire the officers in the video, as well as Cronin. Town Manager Greg Chanis said the council will be holding a special online Town Hall meeting via Zoom later this week to give residents and the public an opportunity to talk about the incident. Whatever the intention of the responding officers, the interchange inappropriately deteriorated from helpful to confrontational, Fredericks said in the statement, adding that Tiburon officers are trained and expected to de-escalate situations such as these. Accountability for our actions is something that everyone should want, doubly so from public servants whose job is to keep us safe, wrote Nate Lee, a Tiburon resident. In the video, Blasi eventually says Khalif should be grateful that the officers are looking out for his shop. Email: mtom@sfgate.com. The officers repeatedly asserted, however, that Khalif was required to show identification, but California does not have a stop-and-identify statue. Awash was born in Ethiopia and lived as a refugee in Kenya before moving with her family to Minnesota. Wife of popular Wild 94.9 radio host JV says new information suggests he will not be coming back, Bay Area federal judge orders extradition of woman suspected of killing MSU student in hit-and-run, San Jose: Home raided as part of explosives and narcotics investigation. All the applicants expressed an understanding of the events that have transpired in Tiburon in the last eight months, Chanis said. Maybe this happened to us because we can bring this out and make sure we have these conversations in our homes and with our families and loved ones and members of community and create something positive thats going to make Tiburon better for all of us, she said. The incident revolves around the officers assertions that because most Main Street businesses shut down about 9 or 10 p.m., and theyd never seen workers inside the shop at 1 a.m., Khalif was required to explain to the officers why they were inside and provide some physical evidence identification or a key in the door that he is the owner. 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 (KPIX/CBS SF) -- The police chief of the City of Tiburon is stepping down , according to a report in the Marin Independent Journal. Our store alarm did not go off, no one called the police, everything was peaceful. I do not have any intention of removing them at this time, Cronin said. Why would the police believe some white guy yelling from his balcony and not the Black business owner stating he owned the business? she wrote. The newly-released bodycam video can be seen here. 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. I had to prove my house, street and number, and I had to prove that I lived in Tiburon, Khalif said. They were politely doing the job they were hired for and if the owner had cooperated right away there would not have been an issue.. 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. 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. Khalif, who designs most of the companys clothing, grew up in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? 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.. However, he believes it would be difficult to continue being effective as a police officer in Tiburon.. Khalif posted the video to Instagram. Awash said other business owners work late at night and pointed to portraits of the couple that are clearly visible through the storefront window. 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. Laurie can be reached at (415)789-2805. Chanis has denied that Cronin's retirement is connected to the incident involving the business owners, according to the Marin IJ. Theyre the ones with the guns, theyre the ones with the badge, theyre the ones with the authority, she said. A Tiburon police sergeant has resigned following a confrontation with a Black merchant that critics say stemmed from racial profiling. My whole body was shaking and I could not make it stop. The governing councils are to hold a joint online Town Hall-Community Forum on Aug. 27. 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. If I tell you its my store, then what? Khalif responded. Mayor Alice Fredericks issued an apology on Saturday and went in person to talk to the store owners on Monday. TIBURON (KPIX/CBS SF) -- The police chief of the City of Tiburon is stepping down , according to a report in the Marin Independent Journa l. Chief Michael Cronin is resigning after 12 years. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A patrol officer saw people in the store at 1 a.m. and questioned why they were there. Another protest is planned at the Tiburon Police Department on Saturday. D, Tiburon, CA 94920 | 415-435-2652 | Privacy Policy| Designed by Kevin Hessel. The pension benefit was split because of a divorce. Awash characterized the conversation as positive. While the interaction with the first officer at the scene, who has not been identified, was not recorded, Khalif said the officer walked up to the door and immediately demanded to know what they were doing in the store at night. Michael Blasi, resigned in the aftermath. 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. 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. While Tiburon Police Chief Michael Cronin and Town Manager Greg Chanis have ordered an independent investigation into the incident, the results of which will be reviewed by the Town Council, Cronin said neither Blasi nor the two other officers involved would be suspended or put on administrative leave amid the investigation. - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Henry Ty McGowan. It looked like they were harassing him and I thought, This has gone on for several minutes, Simpson said. 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. 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. 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. Blasi has responded to numerous law enforcement-related questions on Quora, a question-and-answer website, over the last few years. The newly released footage begins about 6 minutes before that video begins, when Madfes is already parked on Tiburon Boulevard at Main Street and is getting out of his squad car. Tiburon Mayor Alice Fredericks called their behavior unacceptable and issued a public apology, and she and Belvederes mayor each apologized personally to Khalif and Awash. Persons seeking assistance need only lift the phone to be connected with a dispatcher. 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. Reporter Hannah Weikel covers the city of Belvedere, as well as crime, courts and public safety issues on the Tiburon Peninsula. According to Khalif, the officer responded that he had already called for backup before Khalif made the request. Lewis Powell, Detective Seneca Shields and Sgt. 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. Next time, just walk and the audio and video cut out. Matthew Tom is a Homepage Editor at SFGATE. Tiburon officials have selected a San Mateo police lieutenant as the town's next police chief, filling a post that had been vacant for six months. In an Aug. 24 interview, Khalif said he had no doubt the officers confronted him because of his race and said he was still traumatized., I could have been another statistic, I could have been another George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, but I did not take the bait, he said. Grime, 47, was placed in a hobbling device, binding his handcuffs to ankle restraints behind his back. Also sacked were Sgt. Khalif said he, Awash and a friend were in the store doing inventory when he noticed a police vehicle circling the block. TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. The county settled a lawsuit by Grimes family for nearly $1 million. Khalif said when it became clear the officer wasnt understanding him, he asked the officer to call his supervisor. We saw him drive around the block like 3 times. All Rights Reserved. That report led to 72 Philadelphia officers placed on administrative duty, of whom 13 were fired. FYI, a popular restaurant close to us was still open and I could see their employees working late. Yema Protest Speech following the incident at his storefront on August 29th. A Black. 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. It is clear that did not occur in this instance.. You can contact staff from the Police Department and get information about their divisions: Tiburon Town Hall | 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, CA 94920 | Phone: 415-435-7373 Hours: Administration: 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Planning: 8 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Building: 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Public Works: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Town Hall is closed on Fridays. He previously worked at The San Francisco Chronicle as a Bay Area news editor and the Oakland Tribune as a senior news editor. Kevin Hessel is The Arks executive editor. It is unclear whether or not the police received a 911 call that prompted their presence at YEMA late that night. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. TIRURON, Calif. (KRON) Tiburon police sergeant Michael Blasi has resigned after video of the encounter between Tiburon police officers and a Black store owner raised concerns, according. Investigators said the incident occurred inside the Tiburon Police Department (TPD) locker room at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Dec. 12, The Ark reported. I cannot lie and say Im OK. Im traumatized and my wife is traumatized.. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Police Chief Michael 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. There's video of the interaction and an investigation underway. I was not specifically aware of that event.. Thats where the concern should be right now the next Black man, not an apology to Yema.. Blasi begins asking the same questions as the first officer, including what the three were doing there late at night. 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. Other people defended the police actions, denying that there was any racial motivation behind the interaction and saying Khalif was in the wrong.

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