Awash said other business owners work late at night and pointed to portraits of the couple that are clearly visible through the storefront window. Once she found out about Blasis past, she said she felt lucky the situation did not end with violence. Khalif posted the video to Instagram. 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.. It sparked widespread outrage within the community and prompted town officials to order an independent investigation into the officers conduct. Based on this belief, Sgt. I expressed to him that there was no crime going on and we were going about our business. Ste. "This street closes at 9 o'clock at night and there's never anybody in here. Some days we have to work late. In response to public outcry, Blasi offered his resignation from the Tiburon Police department, which went into effect September 1. 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. Emergency Operations Center If this is your store, put the key in the door, Blasi can be heard saying. Then show me that its your store, said the officer. Thats all we want to know, Blasi says. ", 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.". Ive not been feeling the reality of it. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? Tiburon police officers are trained and held to the highest standards of conduct. 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. In addition, Fredericks said the council plans to hold a special meeting within the next week to discuss the incident, though a date and time was not set by The Arks press time. 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.. Khalif said he was wearing the same outfit as the mannequin he was standing next to while talking to police from the doorway. 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. 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. FYI, a popular restaurant close to us was still open and I could see their employees working late. And he wanted us to prove who we are. 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. 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. 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 it, you can hear officers questioning Khalif multiple times: "Do one of you own the store?". 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. 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. The department also updated its use-of-force policy to align with calls to de-escalate police encounters with the public. 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. The remaining footage is the body-camera perspective of the exchange previously recorded from inside the store and circulated on social media. On the night of the alleged racial profiling incident, Khalif, his wife, 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. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? The department also updated its use-of-force policy to align with calls to de-escalate police encounters with the public. Put your key in the door and were out of here. Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying [Sgt. Khalif started the brand with his wife when they were in college. 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. The Los Angeles Times broke the story about former officers charged with conspiracy and vandalism in connection to a swastika spray-painting on a citizen's car. What is it that theyre fearing?. They opened the athletic apparel boutique in February. Protesters march Saturday, Jan. 28, in Memphis, Tenn., over the death of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police. In the footage, Madfes is seen walking through Fountain Plaza toward the store and can be heard reporting one BMA, one BFA one Black male adult and one Black female adult which he corrects to three people, two Black males, as he gets closer. 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. After another shop owner yelled at police, telling them the couple did own the store, the officers left. A video showing three Tiburon Peninsula police officers repeatedly questioning the identity of a Black business owner working in his Fountain Plaza clothing store about 1 a.m. Aug. 21 has sparked widespread outrage within the community and prompted town officials to order an independent investigation into the conduct of two of the officers. The lawyer will interview the people involved in the incident starting mid-September. His tone not very like-able. today at a #BlackLivesMatter rally in response to a standoff in which Sgt. Police Chief Michael Cronin said the town has engaged the services of an independent attorney to conduct an investigation into the incident. Blasi has responded to numerous law enforcement-related questions on Quora, a question-and-answer website, over the last few years. Another protest is planned at the Tiburon Police Department on Saturday. In 1999 the department moved into its current location at 1155 Tiburon Blvd. Again, Khalif says hell speak to the supervisor, but Madfes insists Khalif is required to give me a lawful reason why youre here.. Ste. 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. While K-9 officer Larry Holladay, Patrol Officer Patrick. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. The people in the store included co-owners Yema Khalif and Hawai Awash, the only Black store owners in town. We saw him drive around the block like 3 times. Cronin said he wasnt aware of Blasis involvement in the Grime case when the department hired him last year. Michael Blasi, was, 2022 The Ark, AMMI Publishing Co. Inc. | 1550 Tiburon Blvd. 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.. Maegan Hall, the female officer at the center of the scandal, has been fired, city officials said. 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 towns only Black-owned business while working late in his downtown shop has sparked outrage in the community. Im like, wait, did this happen in Tiburon? 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. Blasi was one of four sheriffs deputies involved in a wrongful death lawsuit after Cary Grime was arrested in 2003 for public intoxication in Novato. The finalists were interviewed in person at Town Hall on Jan. 26 by Scardina, Public Works Director Steve Palmer, Community Development Director Dina Tasini and Administrative Services Director Suzanne Creekmore. In the incident, which was recorded on video, two Tiburon officers and a Belvedere officer pressed Yema Khalif and Hawai Awash to identify themselves after seeing them in their clothing shop at 1 a.m. Khalif claimed racial profiling, which the officers denied. 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. A Black. 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. Cronin denies his departure is linked to the incident. Do you want us to look out for the community or do you want us to let anybody walk in here at 2 oclock in the morning and steal all your stuff? Blasi is heard saying on the video. "There's three Black people in the store, what's the problem?" TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. Khalif said when it became clear the officer wasnt understanding him, he asked the officer to call his supervisor. In 1999 the department moved into its current location at 1155 Tiburon Blvd. 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. 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. 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. Cronin's announcement comes one week after Sgt. This incident should alarm every resident in Tiburon, wrote Wolf. First published on September 8, 2020 / 7:45 PM. As Madfes walks away and catches up to Blasi, Blasi can be heard saying, He says its his store, thats good enough for me. A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. Khalif continually declines to do so, stating numerous times that he owns the business and asks, Whats the problem? A video of the incident that Awash recorded was widely shared on social media, and the town released police body-camera footage. 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. Awash began recording as Sgt. Second Lt. Caron Nazario, who is Black and Latino, is suing over the incident, claiming the two officers violated his rights guaranteed under the First and Fourth Amendments. 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. This street closes at 9 oclock at night, and theres never anybody in here. The Aug. 21 incident is the second time in recent months the Tiburon Police Department has come under public scrutiny for its response to racial issues in the wake of the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd and ensuing Black Lives Matter protests across the country, including several in Tiburon. Awash characterized the conversation as positive. But this goes to show that when people come together good things can happen.. She said that included conversations about how police officers can re-examine their implicit biases and eliminate their own fear on the job. Ultimately, I sign off on every hire for the town, 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. This isnt regular business hours, theres no customers in here. 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. ", The community meeting comes after the city released body cam video showing the back and forth between both sides. I sat in on these interviews, but did not participate, Chanis said. I had to prove my house, street and number, and I had to prove that I lived in Tiburon, Khalif said. 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