If this is your store, put the key in the door, Blasi can be heard saying. As Madfes approaches the store, Khalif, Awash and the friend can be seen inside at the checkout counter, apparently talking with each other. Before that, he worked as a police officer in Belvedere for about two years, and earlier he spent 17 years as a deputy with the Marin County Sheriffs Office. Reporter Hannah Weikel and Assistant Editor Emily Lavin contributed to this report. 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, Tiburon police demand Black business owner prove who he is, Man fired after blocking Latino man from entering his own apartment building in SF, Find resources to help with equality, justice and race issues. 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. 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. Ste. After it was over I was shaking, Awash said. 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. Reach her at 415-944-4627. Cronin declined to declined to identify the other two officers other than to say one works for Tiburon and the other for Belvedere. In the video, Blasi eventually says Khalif should be grateful that the officers are looking out for his shop. Despite resigning, Blasi will cooperate with an independent investigation led by a lawyer the town retained, Chanis said. 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. She said that included conversations about how police officers can re-examine their implicit biases and eliminate their own fear on the job. Khalif said he was entitled to be in the store, had no obligation to identify himself and accused police of being suspicious because the store occupants were Black. Michael Blasi was the supervising officer on Aug. 21 during the incident at Yema, a clothing store on Main Street. A Tiburon police sergeant has resigned following a confrontation with a Black merchant that critics say stemmed from racial profiling. 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. 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. In the post. 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. However, Linda Emberson of Tiburon countered. Cause you dont sound like youre very grateful. , and a business friend, all of whom are Black, were at their store late at night counting inventory, according to a post on YEMAs Instagram account. He doesn't believe that would have happened if he was white. "There's three Black people in the store, what's the problem?" "He and I have been discussing the timing of his retirement for some time, but he only recently chose the date that corresponds with his entry into public service 54 years ago," Chanis said in the press release. During the arrest, Grime fell unconscious and died in the hospital two days later. Can you prove that its your store?, Khalif: I do not have to prove anything to you, its my store., Blasi: Oh my god, yes you do have to prove who you are., Khalif: I do not have to prove my existence to you.. It is unclear whether or not the police received a 911 call that prompted their presence at YEMA late that night. Khalif said the officer circled the store three or four times before stopping outside the shop and sitting across the street for about 15 minutes. A Black. The department also updated its use-of-force policy to align with calls to de-escalate police encounters with the public. Monaghans starting annual salary is $195,000, which is 3% less than Cronins salary, Chanis said. The investigation needs to go further than just this incident at Yema, said Adjani, a friend of the store owners. ", Others responded with different views, saying that officers were just doing their job. 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. Chanis said 60 people provided public comment during the four-hour forum. Three former Aurora, Colo., police officers have lost a bid to get their jobs back after being fired in connection to posed photos reenacting a chokehold near the site where . 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. 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. Scott Adams faces consequence culture as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Rapid demise of Dilbert no surprise to some who were watching, Elon Musk tweets support for Dilbert creator Scott Adams after racist tirade. He said he was surrounded by officers who told him they were responding to a call about a person touching peoples cars.. Really? Khalif: "If I tell you it's my store then what? A statement agreed upon by all of the parties to the lawsuit said that investigations by the San Rafael Police Department and the FBI concluded that there was no criminal conduct and no criminal violation of Grimes civil rights by the sheriffs office. "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. Ryan Monaghan, who has worked at the San Mateo department for 27 years, will start the new job on April 5. Khalif and Awash said Chanis, the town manager, reached out to them after the incident, and the three met on Aug. 23. When we hire police, the police chief makes a recommendation, but the town manager approves every hire.. The first officer stayed behind briefly and again asked Khalif to put his key in the door, though Khalif again declined, saying the matter was settled. Required fields are marked *. It first operated from 80 Main Street before moving in the late 70s into surplus military housing near its present site. 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. Then finally, the cop decided to come knock on our store door. We received new inventory during the day so we went back to our store, on Main street Tiburon California, to work late. Blasi begins asking the same questions as the first officer, including what the three were doing there late at night. Blasi joined the Tiburon Police Department in June 2019. A Tiburon police sergeant was found dead at the department's headquarters of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, the agency said Tuesday. Ste. 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. Ultimately, I sign off on every hire for the town, Chanis said. 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. Tiburon Town Hall | 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, CA 94920 | Phone: 415-435-7373. 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 department is open to the public. A Tiburon police spokesperson tells ABC7 News the town has hired an outside, independent attorney to conduct an investigation. 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. 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. Its unfortunate but I think good will come of this, Awash said. D, Tiburon, CA 94920 |. Khalif said he was wearing the same outfit as the mannequin he was standing next to while talking to police from the doorway. I fing live here, do not tell me about whatever, Khalif responds. Khalif and Awash say they had already seen the car circle the block three to four times before it stopped outside the shop, where they say it sat for about 15 minutes before the start of the town-released body-cam footage and that they had anticipated what was about to happen next. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! I can no longer sit idle and watch the (Tiburon Police Department) inhumanely treat the citizens and business owners of our town. While K-9 officer Larry Holladay, Patrol Officer Patrick. Khalif said he, Awash and a friend were in the store doing inventory when he noticed a police vehicle circling the block. 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. 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. 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.. Khalif said when it became clear the officer wasnt understanding him, he asked the officer to call his supervisor. Other people defended the police actions, denying that there was any racial motivation behind the interaction and saying Khalif was in the wrong. Madfes, however, again asks Khalif to put the key in the door, but this time Khalif declines: Thats your supervisor, he say you walk away, walk away.. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. ", Supervisor: "Then show me that it's your store. 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 man can not say that, but a white man can.. We do not need to prove to police that we deserve to be at our clothing store way past business hours.. It was saddening to see that there wasnt any recognition from the police involved that this was a situation where they made a mistake.. 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. The county settled a lawsuit by Grimes family for nearly $1 million. To be fair, some more than others.. Persons seeking assistance need only lift the phone to be connected with a dispatcher. This street closes at 9 oclock at night, and theres never anybody in here. "This street closes at 9 o'clock at night and there's never anybody in here. However, he believes it would be difficult to continue being effective as a police officer in Tiburon.. Khalif acknowledged several times that I want you to look out for my store and I want you to look out for my community, but he repeatedly asked the officers what activity, beyond his presence alone, was suspicious and required explanation. Khalif posted the video to Instagram. Tiburon police records show that no one called police about suspicious activity at the store, and no alarms had been set off. 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. 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.. Grime died in a hospital two days later. "He demands to know what we are doing at the store at 1 o'clock in the morning and he wants me to prove who I am," said Khalif in an interview with ABC7 News. today at a #BlackLivesMatter rally in response to a standoff in which Sgt. It does not matter. Early release leading to academic unsettlement for student athletes, Tam's emergency and natural disaster readiness, GSA Advocates for Gender Neutral Changing Rooms, Bolinas and Stinson Beach students face frightening commute, Tamalpais High School's gender and sexuality alliance. Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, FL Gov. I dont have to show anything to you, Khalif can be heard saying. Im like, wait, did this happen in Tiburon? Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying [Sgt. 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. The situation started getting out of hand so our friend from DC started recording the exchange (Video below). 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. 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. 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. Cronin quickly apologized, saying he stood in support of peaceful protests in Marin City and condemned racism, social injustice and police brutality. The people in the store included co-owners Yema Khalif and Hawai Awash, the only Black store owners in town. Blasi] believes it would be difficult to continue being effective as a police officer in Tiburon. 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. 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. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? Everything I was saying fell on deaf ears.. Meanwhile, Awash estimated she has been stopped in her car three to five times over the past year and a half by the same police officer. Him they were harassing him and I thought, this has gone on several. 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