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. Blasi made $10,122 a month. Theyre the ones with the guns, theyre the ones with the badge, theyre the ones with the authority, she said. 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. Sgt. 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. Chanis said neither Cronin nor Blasi are able to comment due to the pending investigation. Tiburon police officers are trained and held to the highest standards of conduct. In 2004, Blasi was one of the deputies involved in a wrongful death lawsuit after a 47-year-old man named Cary Grime was arrested and hogtied in Novato. Owner Yema Khalif said he was insulted by the officer's demand to prove he owned the store and feels Blasi would have behaved differently if he had been white. Also sacked were Sgt. TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- On Thursday night, a four-hour, heated virtual community meeting took place over an incident that happened in the small North Bay city of Tiburon, California. Blasi offered, and the town has accepted, his voluntary resignation.. Really? We saw him drive around the block like 3 times. This isn't regular business hours, there's no customers in there. Khalif and Awash said Chanis, the town manager, reached out to them after the incident, and the three met on Aug. 23. Awash characterized the conversation as positive. After the panel interviews, I met with each finalist for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, and then each finalist had the opportunity to tour the police station.. How they dont know Yema is beyond me, he said. Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying " [Sgt. A Tiburon police sergeant was found dead at the department's headquarters of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, the agency said Tuesday. She said she used to work for Frank Howard Allen Realtors when it had a storefront office in downtown Tiburon. TIBURON, Calif. . Blasi will receive three months of salary from Tiburon as severance pay, Chanis said. TAKE ACTION: Find resources to help with equality, justice and race issues. Town Manager Greg Chanis said he chose the date to " coincide with his military anniversary in 1966.". 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. If this is your store, put the key in the door, Blasi can be heard saying. Monaghans collaborative approach and demonstrated commitment to creating meaningful community engagement really set him apart from other candidates, Chanis said. Its unfortunate but I think good will come of this, Awash said. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. According to Khalif, the officer sat in his parked vehicle for about 20 minutes before approaching Khalif, asking him to identify himself, explain why they were inside the store, and informing them that backup was on the way. 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. 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 . What is it that theyre fearing?. Belvedere City Manager Craig Middleton said one of the officers who was acting in a backup role is employed with Belvedere Police Department. FYI, we didnt realize that when he was circling the block he was calling for back up. A patrol officer saw people in the store at 1 a.m. and questioned why they were there. Other downtown business owners rallied around the couple, saying theyve never been questioned by police while working late into the evening, past closing time, including Chelsea Ialeggio, a real-estate agent who said she has had offices in town with both Frank Howard Allen and now at Vanguard Properties. This incident should alarm every resident in Tiburon, wrote Wolf. When a police officer leaves their department because of misconduct, there's no easy public way for people to know if they're rehired elsewhere in law enforcement. I have been stopped for taking a walk to my house. 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. Doesnt the business owner have some responsibility for not complying, which also couldve de-escalated the situation? asked Reedlands resident Elizabeth Shapiro on Nextdoor. The video which has been viewed more than 30,000 times on the stores Instagram page and shared more than 750 times on its Facebook page triggered an overwhelming community response of concern and outrage, including hundreds of comments on online neighborhood forum Nextdoor.com. Footage of the incident on August 21st can be seen on YEMAs Instagram (@Yemacalif). The governing councils are to hold a joint online Town Hall-Community Forum on Aug. 27. 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. 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. Tiburon chief Cronin also resigned effective September 13, in response to the alleged racial profiling incident at YEMA. Thats all we want to know, Blasi says. 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. ", Khalif: "I do not have to show you nothing. I expressed to him that there was no crime going on and we were going about our business. The department is open to the public. 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. Khalif was also a speaker at the 2018 Belvedere-Tiburon Librarys Pop-Up 94920 series. 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. She said that included conversations about how police officers can re-examine their implicit biases and eliminate their own fear on the job. ", The business owner tells ABC7 News, "I did feel racially profiled. 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. Khalif: "If I tell you it's my store then what? Michael Blasi demanded Khalif and 2 other Black ppl prove they were allowed to be in the store. Tiburon Mayor Alice Fredericks told the Marin IJ she was not surprised by the announcement, but it came "a few weeks earlier than expected. Blasi offered, and the town has accepted, his voluntary resignation., On the night of the alleged racial profiling incident, Khalif, his wife. In a later interview, Simpson said he was concerned by the way the three officers were surrounding Khalif. Update: 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. Monaghan accepted a conditional offer in February, Chanis said. Their pictures are even on the store's walls. NBCBLK 5 officers fired after Tyre Nichols' death were 'directly responsible' for his 'physical abuse,' police chief says Other officers remain under investigation in connection with a. DeSantis coming to CA as new poll shows him leading Trump, Ice flies off SUV, smashing windshield: 'You could kill somebody'. 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. I do not have to show you nothing! replied Khalif. It was fear. The shop owners filed a $2 million claim against the town. Blasi stepped in and was recorded arguing with Khalif while the patrol officer and a Belvedere officer stood by. That seemed to satisfy the officers, and they promptly left without the proof they had demanded for roughly 10 minutes. The town has been conducting background and medical checks since then. It is clear that did not occur in this instance.. In response to public outcry, Blasi offered his resignation from the Tiburon Police department, which went into effect September 1. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? 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. Awash noted they had been in the shop until about 2 or 3 a.m. the day before. You sound very defensive.. Khalif posted the video to Instagram. 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. It was unclear why late Aug. 26 Tiburon released the extended video, in which the previously unidentified Tiburon patrol officer, Isaac Madfes, speaks his first name aloud. Sept. 10, 2020 1:17 AM PT. Awash was born in Ethiopia and lived as a refugee in Kenya before moving with her family to Minnesota. Khalif refused. 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Davina Adjani, a protest organizer, said the might be postponed in light of the resignation, but that Cronin is still a problem for hiring Blasi despite the red flags in his past. Blasi offered, and the town has accepted, his voluntary resignation." 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. 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. Fredericks said Cronin is planning a department-wide racial-bias training for late next month, which has been in the works since the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis in May, which led to widespread protests and mounting calls to end racial injustice and police brutality. It was saddening to see that there wasnt any recognition from the police involved that this was a situation where they made a mistake.. First published on September 8, 2020 / 7:45 PM. 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. Cronin's departure comes on the heels of Sgt. 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.. About 2 minutes into the video, Khalif says that if Madfes has a problem, call your chief of police, call whoever you wanna call at which point Madfes acknowledges his supervisor, Blasi, is already on his way, consistent with Khalifs previous accounts of the incident. Henry Ty McGowan. Proceeds from clothing sales help send orphans go to school. Blasi also receives a monthly pension of $3,224 for his time as a sheriffs deputy, said Jeff Wickham, the county pension board administrator. Assistant Editor Emily Lavin contributed to this report. Blasi begins asking the same questions as the first officer, including what the three were doing there late at night. Then show me that its your store, said the officer. 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. As Madfes approaches the store, Khalif, Awash and the friend can be seen inside at the checkout counter, apparently talking with each other. The confrontation led to a rally in Tiburon on Aug. 29 against racial profiling. Before opening their Tiburon storefront, the couple started selling their clothing online in 2016. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! In it, the officers, who first note that Khalif is in the store at 1 a.m., past the typical 9 p.m. shut-down time for activity on the street, can be heard repeatedly demanding that Khalif prove his ownership of the business, either by showing identification or putting his key in the shops door. 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. The settlement was announced. 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 received new inventory during the day so we went back to our store, on Main street Tiburon California, to work late. 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 incident, early last Friday morning, is now the subject of an independent . Is it your store? TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- On Thursday night, a four-hour, heated virtual community meeting took place over an incident that happened in the small North Bay city of Tiburon, California. Awash said she was shaking while recording the incident at the store because of the prior negative encounters with Tiburon police. He also holds a masters degree in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. Michael Blasi, was posted by Khalif to social media later Aug. 21. In our 50th year serving Tiburon, Belvedere & Strawberry. Protesters march Saturday, Jan. 28, in Memphis, Tenn., over the death of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police. I look forward to meeting and working with the engaged community members, our town leaders, allied agencies and especially all our town employees who are committed to providing the highest levels of service to everyone who lives, works and visits the town of Tiburon, Monaghan said. videotaped confronting a Black business owner, Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. This isnt regular business hours, theres no customers in here. If they had just proved it was their business then that wouldve been it.. 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. 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. 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. On Thursday, the city of Tiburon and city of Belvedere held a joint virtual community meeting with all sides reacting to the incident. I do not have any intention of removing them at this time, Cronin said. U.S. California Police Instagram. 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 . Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. 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. OK, thats fine. Body cam and cell phone footage shows the altercation as it unfolds. All Rights Reserved. Lewis Powell, Detective Seneca Shields and Sgt. Yema's wife says the officer had his hand on his gun. Khalif, who has lived in Tiburon for nearly 10 years, and Awash are well-known in the Tiburon business community. Blasi begins asking the same questions as the first officer, including what the three were doing there late at night. In response to public outcry, Blasi offered his resignation from the Tiburon Police department, which went into effect September 1. 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. Michael Blasi, was, 2022 The Ark, AMMI Publishing Co. Inc. | 1550 Tiburon Blvd. Required fields are marked *. What is it that theyre fearing?. He opened the store this past February and says it's not unusual for them to work late into the night. 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. 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