Why would the police believe some white guy yelling from his balcony and not the Black business owner stating he owned the business? she wrote. The encounter escalated when the supervising sergeant arrived on scene. Grime, 47, was placed in a hobbling device, binding his handcuffs to ankle restraints behind his back. The county settled with Grimes family for nearly $1 million. TIBURON, Calif. - A Tiburon couple who own a clothing store is accusing police of racially profiling them. We received new inventory during the day so we went back to our store, on Main street Tiburon California, to work late. The police chief of the wealthy Bay Area town of Tiburon has announced his retirement as the community reels over a confrontation between police and . Monaghan accepted a conditional offer in February, Chanis said. Accountability for our actions is something that everyone should want, doubly so from public servants whose job is to keep us safe, wrote Nate Lee, a Tiburon resident. How can policing be done with empathy," said Khalif. Cronin declined to declined to identify the other two officers other than to say one works for Tiburon and the other for Belvedere. Another said, "I am incensed! 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.". Sgt. Your email address will not be published. Cronin quickly apologized, saying he stood in support of peaceful protests in Marin City and condemned racism, social injustice and police brutality. ", Supervisor: "Then show me that it's your store. 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. 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. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. 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. Yema Khalif and Hawi Awash, owners of the Yema clothing shop. D, Tiburon, CA 94920 |. 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. The Police Department and Emergency Operations Center are also responsible for developing and maintaining the Emergency Operations Plan for the entire Tiburon Peninsula. Khalif and Awash said Chanis, the town manager, reached out to them after the incident, and the three met on Aug. 23. Then he insisted that he wanted us to prove who we are and to explain what we were doing at the store that late. She said that included conversations about how police officers can re-examine their implicit biases and eliminate their own fear on the job. Khalif and Awash said Cronin had not reached out to them directly in the aftermath of the incident. / CBS San Francisco. 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. I think of all of the very late nights I have worked in those offices and never once did the police come by to see who was there as I sat at my desk clearly visible in the window, she said in an email to town officials. Some police officers have used digital media to brag about their racially violent exploits. September 8, 2020 / 7:45 PM His tone not very like-able. Protesters march Saturday, Jan. 28, in Memphis, Tenn., over the death of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police. Michael Blasi, who resigned not long after he was videotaped confronting a Black business owner who was unloading inventory into his store at one in the morning, last August. Khalif, who designs most of the companys clothing, grew up in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Monaghan has taught administration of justice at the San Mateo Community College District. Khalif replies, No, just doing our thing and asks if theres a problem. - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. 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. Should you desire additional information that doesnt appear on the site, please contact us directly at 415-789-2801 or by using the department directory. In the video, Khalif can be seen wearing a protective mask and engaging with the initially maskless police supervisor, identified as Michael Blasi, who repeatedly asked Khalif to prove his identity as the owner of the store. "Just because you've never seen me here before I do not have to prove to you that I have to be here," said Khalif in the video. Michael Blasi, resigned in the aftermath. As Madfes approaches the store, Khalif, Awash and the friend can be seen inside at the checkout counter, apparently talking with each other. 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. 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. 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. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? But this goes to show that when people come together good things can happen.. Persons seeking assistance need only lift the phone to be connected with a dispatcher. 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.. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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 then can be heard asking Khalif why he is bringing race into the conversation. It sounded like a fist-fight was going to happen, Simpson said. First published on September 8, 2020 / 7:45 PM. Madfes says there isnt, but that hes never seen anyone in the store so late. At the 10-minute mark, Madfes chimes in again: Prove to us you have keys or , There you go, thats the perfect thing, Blasi says as Khalif removes something from his pocket. I think the town owes the police an apology, Joyce Wells said. "We are extraordinarily sad to report the loss. 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. ", Khalif: "I do not have to show you nothing. We do not need to prove why we need to exist, Khalif said. In 1999 the department moved into its current location at 1155 Tiburon Blvd. One of our business friend was visiting us from washing DC so he came with us. 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.. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Yema Protest Speech following the incident at his storefront on August 29th. I sat in on these interviews, but did not participate, Chanis said. 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. Reach her at 415-944-4627. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. 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. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? Body cam and cell phone footage shows the altercation as it unfolds. 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. "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. DeSantis coming to CA as new poll shows him leading Trump, Ice flies off SUV, smashing windshield: 'You could kill somebody'. David Zalubowski/AP. Sept. 10, 2020 1:17 AM PT. Khalif, who designs most of the companys clothing, grew up in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Before opening their Tiburon storefront, the couple started selling their clothing online in 2016. Khalif said he was racially profiled in February while searching for business license documents in his car in the Town Hall parking lot. 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. 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 shop owners filed a $2 million claim against the town. Awash said both she and Khalif have been heartened by the support from the Tiburon community, with both reiterating they feel lucky to live in town. Then finally, the cop decided to come knock on our store door. Blasi] believes it would be difficult to continue being effective as a police officer in Tiburon. 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. It is clear that did not occur in this instance.. Moments later, a neighbor awoken by the yelling can be heard telling police that Khalif was the store owner. 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. 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. During hours when the department is closed, visitors can be directly connected to our dispatch center via a phone outside our front entrance. In response to public outcry, Blasi offered his resignation from the Tiburon Police department, which went into effect September 1. After another shop owner yelled at police, telling them the couple did own the store, the officers left. I expressed to him that there was no crime going on and we were going about our business. After the video of the incident was posted on Yemas Instagram and went viral, discussion caught like wildfire across social media platforms. 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. I want to know what you're doing in the store at 1 o'clock in the morning," says the supervisor. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? 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 four fired men were Patrol Officer Juan Lugo Perez, Sgt. Then show me that its your store, said the officer. A Tiburon police sergeant has resigned following a confrontation with a Black merchant that critics say stemmed from racial profiling. Also sacked were Sgt. Critics also note the officers finally left without the proof they said was required for 11 minutes only when a white Main Street resident who overheard the confrontation shouted, Thats his store.. 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. I fing live here, do not tell me about whatever, Khalif responds. On Aug. 21 at about 1 a.m., police officers confronted the couple, who were inside their shop. Awash said other business owners work late at night and pointed to portraits of the couple that are clearly visible through the storefront window. 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. 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. Yema's wife says the officer had his hand on his gun. 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