Chanis said neither Cronin nor Blasi are able to comment due to the pending investigation. Cronin said he wasnt aware of Blasis involvement in the Grime case when the department hired him last year. Im not going to answer your question. 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. In a year marked by the killings of Black people at the hands of law enforcement, leading to protests nationwide calling for police reform, the conduct of the Tiburon officers is particularly tone . Tiburon police officers are trained and held to the highest standards of conduct. Khalif posted the video to Instagram. 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. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. The video, which has amassed nearly 64,000 views on YEMAs Instagram page, sparked public outrage prompting a protest in Tiburon attended by over 200 people in support of Khalif and the Black Lives Matter movement. Video @sherlavars pic.twitter.com/WH5S9Sktxu. 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. Tiburon Town Hall | 1505 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, CA 94920 | Phone: 415-435-7373. 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. Tiburon, CA - A Tiburon police sergeant fatally shot himself inside the police department headquarters while on duty on Monday, according to authorities. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? 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Yema Khalif and Hawi Awash, owners of the Yema clothing shop. If this is your store, put the key in the door, Blasi can be heard saying. Before Khalif was able to show the three officers that he had a working key to the store, an unnamed local can be heard from afar verifying that Khalif was the owner. The officers repeatedly asserted, however, that Khalif was required to show identification, but California does not have a stop-and-identify statue. 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. David Zalubowski/AP. Khalif says he wasnt angry, just putting his foot down. 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. A Tiburon police sergeant has resigned following a confrontation with a Black merchant that critics say stemmed from racial profiling. 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. 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. 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. 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. They opened the athletic apparel boutique in February. 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. In the video, Blasi eventually says Khalif should be grateful that the officers are looking out for his shop. 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"My pictures are plastered all over the store, huge pictures," says Khalif. 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 county settled a lawsuit by Grimes family for nearly $1 million. In these conversations, Sergeant Blasi expressed his love for Tiburon and described the deep connection he developed during his time serving the community, Chanis wrote in a message to residents. 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. While he doesnt initially identify himself, the footage shows Madfes begin by asking, in a seemingly friendly tone, Hey guys, Ive never seen you open this late you just restocking?. Is it your store? 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. This isn't regular business hours, there's no customers in there. 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. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. Lewis Powell, Detective Seneca Shields and Sgt. Khalif started the brand with his wife when they were in college. Moments later, a neighbor awoken by the yelling can be heard telling police that Khalif was the store owner. There are three Black people in the store whats the problem with that?, Watch the video on Instagram at instagram.com/p/CEKwyUrJIdl. Monaghan graduated from Union Institute and University in Sacramento with a bachelors degree in criminal justice management. Awash characterized the conversation as positive. The couple was working late with a friend and business associate from Washington, D.C., Awash said, adding that its not uncommon for them to work late into the night setting up displays and doing inventory. I want to know what you're doing in the store at 1 o'clock in the morning," says the supervisor. 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. 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. 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. Awash was born in Ethiopia and lived as a refugee in Kenya before moving with her family to Minnesota. 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. 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. Yema Protest Speech following the incident at his storefront on August 29th. On Thursday, the city of Tiburon and city of Belvedere held a joint virtual community meeting with all sides reacting to the incident. Khalif was also a speaker at the 2018 Belvedere-Tiburon Librarys Pop-Up 94920 series. After the video of the incident was posted on Yemas Instagram and went viral, discussion caught like wildfire across social media platforms. While K-9 officer Larry Holladay, Patrol Officer Patrick. Video shows the interaction between the store owner and the police supervisor, who demanded, "I want to know what you're doing in the store at 1'oclock in the morning.". TIBURON, Calif. . Ste. 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. Maegan Hall, the female officer at the center of the scandal, has been fired, city officials said. In addition to normal police activities, the police station also houses the Emergency Operations Center, which is equipped to manage disaster response for Tiburon and Belvedere. 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. The supervisor came charged and did not come to deescalate anything. Henry Ty McGowan, Detective Seneca Shields and. 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. In our 50th year serving Tiburon, Belvedere & Strawberry. The newly-released bodycam video can be seen here. 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. How safe is your neighborhood? 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. Awash says shes been stopped in her car by a single officer three to five times in the past year and a half. The officers immediately left the store. ", Supervisor: "Then show me that it's your store. DeSantis coming to CA as new poll shows him leading Trump, Ice flies off SUV, smashing windshield: 'You could kill somebody'. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! TIBURON, Calif. - A Tiburon couple who own a clothing store is accusing police of racially profiling them. 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. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. All Rights Reserved. VIDEO: Man fired after blocking Latino man from entering his own apartment building in SF. In 1999 the department moved into its current location at 1155 Tiburon Blvd. Im like, wait, did this happen in Tiburon? She said that included conversations about how police officers can re-examine their implicit biases and eliminate their own fear on the job. "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. 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. Khalif replies, No, just doing our thing and asks if theres a problem. It came from knowing that in one split second they could end someones life.. Town Manager Greg Chanis said he chose the date to " coincide with his military anniversary in 1966.". 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. At one point he stopped across our store for a good minute. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! During the arrest, Grime fell unconscious and died in the hospital two days later. Really? Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying [Sgt. TIBURON (KPIX/CBS SF) -- The police chief of the City of Tiburon is stepping down , according to a report in the Marin Independent Journal. He also holds a masters degree in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. Comment at the meeting, or in advance by emailing comments@townoftiburon.org. TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. The nearly 11-minute recording includes about 5 previously unseen minutes of the incident, which occurred about 1 a.m. Aug. 21 at Yema, the "action . Tiburon chief Cronin also resigned effective September 13, in response to the alleged racial profiling incident at YEMA. Mayor Alice Fredericks issued an apology on Saturday and went in person to talk to the store owners on Monday. 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. 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