The settlement was announced. It first operated from 80 Main Street before moving in the late 70's into surplus military housing near its present site. I expressed to him that there was no crime going on and we were going about our business. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A sixth Memphis officer was fired . In another post, Blasi is asked what kind of behavior can get someone in trouble with the police, to which he responded, resisting a detention or arrest and failing to identify yourself or providing ID when directed by an officer., He also says he wouldnt recommend anyone become a police officer in todays environment, citing media and social-media scrutiny, internet armchair quarterbacks evaluating every real-time decision (and) unqualified and incompetent civilian-oversight committees that are usually someones bulls political agenda.. 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. A Black man can not say that, but a white man can.. 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. Your email address will not be published. She stressed the importance to use the incident as a learning step.. Pac-12 media rights: Our (final) predictions for the revenue, media partners, expansion decisions and more, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. A Black. Blasi then can be heard asking Khalif why he is bringing race into the conversation. Tiburon police sergeant shoots self in police station Amy Larson 12/14/2022 TIBURON, Calif. (KRON) A Tiburon Police Department sergeant fatally shot himself inside the police. Next time, just walk and the audio and video cut out. "Since becoming Police Chief in 2007, the impact of Mikes leadership has been significant for Tiburon," Chanis said. 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.. The two engage, mostly in circles, for the next minute as Madfes repeatedly asks why the three are there so late, and Khalif, at times visibly showing frustration, repeatedly asks why it matters if theres no problem. 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. Doesnt the business owner have some responsibility for not complying, which also couldve de-escalated the situation? asked Reedlands resident Elizabeth Shapiro on Nextdoor. 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. 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.. I want to know what you're doing in the store at 1 o'clock in the morning.". The incident was recorded by Yema Khalifs wife and business partner Hawi Awash from inside their clothing store Yema on Main Street around 1 a.m. Friday. 49K views 2 years ago Tiburon has released footage from a police officer's body-worn camera of a controversial Friday night confrontation between police and a Black business owner who was. Khalif, who designs most of the companys clothing, grew up in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. He opened the store this past February and says it's not unusual for them to work late into the night. Blasi] believes it would be difficult to continue being effective as a police officer in Tiburon. Michael Blasi, becoming more frustrated and confrontational with Khalif, who also appears exasperated with the interaction, as the minutes go by. In 1999 the department moved into its current location at 1155 Tiburon Blvd. Everything I was saying fell on deaf ears.. Michael Blasi resigned after the release of police body-cam video showed Blasi and other officers questioning whether Yema Khalif and his wife Hawi Awash had a right to be in their own downtown store after hours. TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. How they dont know Yema is beyond me, he said. Khalif was also a speaker at the 2018 Belvedere-Tiburon Librarys Pop-Up 94920 series. According to Khalif, the officer responded that he had already called for backup before Khalif made the request. The heated exchange, which began shortly after 1 a.m. Aug. 21, was partially recorded from inside the store by Khalifs friend while his partner and store co-founder, Hawi Awash, stood back from the door. There's video of the interaction and an investigation underway. He doesn't believe that would have happened if he was white. Town Manager Greg Chanis said he chose the date to " coincide with his military anniversary in 1966.". Maybe because I am a blonde Caucasian, there was no reason that they cared to check on why I was there or felt the need to make me get out my key to prove I belonged there.. Blasi] believes it would be difficult to continue being effective as a police officer in Tiburon. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? In response to public outcry, Blasi offered his resignation from the Tiburon Police department, which went into effect September 1. ", The community meeting comes after the city released body cam video showing the back and forth between both sides. In it, you can hear officers questioning Khalif multiple times: "Do one of you own the store?". If I tell you its my store, then what? Khalif asks in the video. ", The business owner tells ABC7 News, "I did feel racially profiled. At the conclusion of the investigation, the findings will be presented to her and the rest of the Tiburon Town Council. The Ark requested the body-camera footage, names of the involved officers and the full police report Aug. 24 and 25, but officials refused the request, saying they would not release any additional information until the conclusion of the investigation. That seemed to satisfy the officers, and they promptly left without the proof they had demanded for roughly 10 minutes. It sparked widespread outrage within the community and prompted town officials to order an independent investigation into the officers conduct. Khalif, a resident for nearly 10 years, says hes been stopped while walking home and had to prove that he lives in Tiburon. Marin resident Chelsea Ialeggio, who was raised in Tiburon, said she is disgusted by the incident. Please enter valid email address to continue. After the video of the incident was posted on Yemas Instagram and went viral, discussion caught like wildfire across social media platforms. Mayor Alice Fredericks on Aug. 22 sent out an email to the community apologizing to Khalif and Awash. The Tiburon and Belvedere council held a joint meeting on Thursday to give the polarized community a chance to weigh in. Last night we had a not so good exchange with Tiburon police at our place of work. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? He went on to say that both he and Awash have been stopped numerous times by Tiburon police, both in their cars and walking down the street. TIBURON (KPIX/CBS SF) -- The police chief of the City of Tiburon is stepping down , according to a report in the Marin Independent Journal. D, Tiburon, CA 94920 | 415-435-2652 | Privacy Policy| Designed by Kevin Hessel. 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. In an Aug. 24 interview, Awash had said the officers tone was aggressive and suspicious and that he didnt identify himself or ask if they were working late. Yema Khalif and Hawi Awash, owners of the Yema clothing shop. Is it your store? The couple met at Dominican University. 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. Comment at the meeting, or in advance by emailing comments@townoftiburon.org. 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. Monaghan has taught administration of justice at the San Mateo Community College District. Offensive text messages exchanged between police officers in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, California, have hit the news and brought a spotlight on systemic discriminatory practices within the department.. 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. Khalif, who designs most of the companys clothing, grew up in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. The argument continued for a few more minutes, with both Blasi and Khalif raising their voices. Marin City Matters member Paul Austin said Blasis resignation is a step in the right direction, but there is more work to be done starting from the top down. Were here because we love Tiburon, and we know that Tiburon loves us back, Awash said. 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. Persons seeking assistance need only lift the phone to be connected with a dispatcher. / CBS San Francisco. Town Manager Greg Chanis said Blasi has had several conversations with town officials since the incident. Khalif says he wasnt angry, just putting his foot down. Proceeds from clothing sales help send orphans go to school. Some days we have to work late. The couple met at Dominican University of California in San Rafael. Thats all we want to know, Blasi says. 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. The confrontation led to a rally in Tiburon on Aug. 29 against racial profiling. "When I feel harassed and I feel targeted, I say it, and I say it as I see it, and that's what that was," says business owner Yema Khalif, who was with his wife and another person inside his business when he was approached by officers. He previously worked at The San Francisco Chronicle as a Bay Area news editor and the Oakland Tribune as a senior news editor. 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. Is it your store? Michael Blasi, resigned in the aftermath. Japanese Americans won redress for World War II interment camps, now they fight for Black reparations, Civil rights activist Roslyn Pope dies; her Appeal for Human Rights helped launch campaign of boycotts, sit-ins, Letters: Stone is wrong | Unnecessarily complex | Everymans EV | Coaching equity | No infrastructure. Khalif insisted that if he acknowledged he was the owner, absent the officers explanation of a problem, evidence of a crime or reason to doubt him, he didnt need to explain why he was in his own store after hours. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Awash characterized the conversation as positive. DeSantis coming to CA as new poll shows him leading Trump, Ice flies off SUV, smashing windshield: 'You could kill somebody'. It does not matter. It is clear that did not occur in this instance.. We are not interested in blanket apologies that have no honesty and truth and actionable things that will prevent a situation like this from happening to the next Black man, he said. Noah Griffin, a member of the towns Diversity Inclusion Task Force, said he was one of two African American members of the community panel that interviewed the finalists. 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. It was saddening to see that there wasnt any recognition from the police involved that this was a situation where they made a mistake.. When we hire police, the police chief makes a recommendation, but the town manager approves every hire.. ", 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.". 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 . Body cam and cell phone footage shows the altercation as it unfolds. By Ewan Palmer On 8/26/20 at 10:17 AM EDT. Yesterday was one of those days. This street closes at 9 oclock at night, and theres never anybody in here. 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. In a later interview, Awash pointed out that there are large posters on the stores walls of both she and Khalif modeling their clothing. Khalif, who has lived in Tiburon for nearly 10 years, and Awash are well-known in the Tiburon business community. As a community, we need to demand change in our public servants when it becomes clear their own unrecognized prejudices can no longer allow them to protect and serve all residents.. Reporter Hannah Weikel covers the city of Belvedere, as well as crime, courts and public safety issues on the Tiburon Peninsula. In an interview Aug. 24, Fredericks called the officers behavior unacceptable, and said the Police Department is in the process of hiring an attorney to conduct an independent investigation into the incident. 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. 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.. Maybe because I am a blonde caucasian there was no reason that they cared to check on why I was there or felt the need to make me get out my key to prove I belonged there.. The incident, early last Friday morning, is now the subject of an independent . Where do you live? Madfes says. As Madfes walks away and catches up to Blasi, Blasi can be heard saying, He says its his store, thats good enough for me. 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. Check out Bay Area safety tracker, Tracking the drought: Map shows conditions across SF Bay Area, Bay Area Life; Sundays at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7, Man fired after blocking Latino man from entering his own apartment building in SF, Find resources to help with equality, justice and race issues, Santa Clara University professor, her brother racially profiled by campus guards, Berkeley mom films confrontation with white man who ripped down Black Lives Matter signs. 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. Blasi offered, and the town has accepted, his voluntary resignation." "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," says Hawi Awash. I was not specifically aware of that event.. 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. I have been stopped for taking a walk to my house. VIDEO: Berkeley mom films confrontation with white man who ripped down Black Lives Matter signs, Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, FL Gov. Cronin quickly apologized, saying he stood in support of peaceful protests in Marin City and condemned racism, social injustice and police brutality. Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying [Sgt. After a few minutes, Blasi and another officer arrived, which is when the interaction starts being recorded. Henry Ty McGowan, Detective Seneca Shields and. I sat in on these interviews, but did not participate, Chanis said. I think right now everybody should get involved just because, whats going on in the country; the climate and everything. Tiburon officials say an independent investigation is now underway, which is the reason why officers were not at Thursday's meeting. 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. You sure? 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. The argument continued for a few more minutes, with both Blasi and Khalif raising their voices. Tiburon officials have selected a San Mateo police lieutenant as the towns next police chief, filling a post that had been vacant for six months. Then show me that its your store, said the officer. Email: mtom@sfgate.com. Then show me its your store, Blasi responds. Laurie Nilsen is the Emergency Services Coordinator for both towns. 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. Several months later, the store was named Tiburons Business of the Month. Footage of the incident on August 21st can be seen on YEMAs Instagram (@Yemacalif). Two five-member interview panels, one consisting of community members and the other of professionals, held two meetings to narrow the applicants down to three, said Town Manager Greg Chanis. Khalif posted the video to Instagram. 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. It is unclear whether or not the police received a 911 call that prompted their presence at YEMA late that night. FYI, we didnt realize that when he was circling the block he was calling for back up. Named among the state's & nation's best small weeklies, 2014, 2018-2021 California News Publishers Association &, Tiburon releases body-cam footage of police questioning Black merchant, About 6 minutes of cellphone footage of the encounter with the supervisor, Tiburon police Sgt. Their pictures are even on the store's walls. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Cronin declined to declined to identify the other two officers other than to say one works for Tiburon and the other for Belvedere. 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.. VIDEO: Man fired after blocking Latino man from entering his own apartment building in SF, "There was nothing suspicious about their activity," says one person. Madfes says there isnt, but that hes never seen anyone in the store so late. "He has fostered partnerships, communication, and trust within our community, and his philosophy toward successful law enforcement practices has substantially moved our department forward.". 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. Cronin quickly apologized, saying he stood in support of peaceful protests in Marin City and condemned racism, social injustice and police brutality. Khalif refused. We are focused on how to prevent this from happening again, she said. A Tiburon police sergeant was found dead at the department's headquarters of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, the agency said Tuesday. If they had just proved it was their business then that wouldve been it.. Assistant Editor Emily Lavin contributed to this report. D, Tiburon, CA 94920 |. ", Others responded with different views, saying that officers were just doing their job. 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. How safe is your neighborhood? Two Tiburon police officials, Sergeant Michael Blasi and Police Chief Michael Cronin resigned September 1 and 13 following allegations of officers racially profiling a Black store owner in Tiburon. Cronin's announcement comes one week after Sgt. Khalif continually declines to do so, stating numerous times that he owns the business and asks, Whats the problem? 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. The Police Department and Emergency Operations Center are also responsible for developing and maintaining the Emergency Operations Plan for the entire Tiburon Peninsula. 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