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. Khalif continually declines to do so, stating numerous times that he owns the business and asks, Whats the problem? D, Tiburon, CA 94920 |. The department also updated its use-of-force policy to align with calls to de-escalate police encounters with the public. As a community, we need to demand change in our public servants when it becomes clear their own unrecognized prejudices can no longer allow them to protect and serve all residents.. 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.. Proceeds from clothing sales help send orphans go to school. He went through the normal background check, Cronin said. Video @sherlavars pic.twitter.com/WH5S9Sktxu. Reporter Hannah Weikel and Assistant Editor Emily Lavin contributed to this report. But this goes to show that when people come together good things can happen.. It sounded like a fist-fight was going to happen, Simpson said. Monaghans collaborative approach and demonstrated commitment to creating meaningful community engagement really set him apart from other candidates, Chanis said. Put your key in the door and were out of here. Reporter Hannah Weikel covers the city of Belvedere, as well as crime, courts and public safety issues on the Tiburon Peninsula. Khalif: "If I tell you it's my store then what? 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. A virtual Tiburon town meeting was held Thursday night to discuss an interaction that took place over the weekend between police officers and the only Black store owners in the town. Monaghans starting annual salary is $195,000, which is 3% less than Cronins salary, Chanis said. While K-9 officer Larry Holladay, Patrol Officer Patrick. "How can we do better as a community? After another shop owner yelled at police, telling them the couple did own the store, the officers left. 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. The newly released body-cam footage appears to highlight this further, with clearer audio than the cellphone footage that also shows a stark contrast between Blasis demeanor and that of Madfes, who speaks calmly throughout the first half of the video while Blasi then frequently shouts over Khalif and tells him he should be grateful. Other business owners have come forward to say that on the rare occasions they work late into the night, they've never been stopped and questioned at all, while Khalif was not only interrogated, Madfes had already called for backup before he first knocked on the door. The protest, which featured a diverse array of Black speakers in the community, including Marin residents Paul Austin and Amber Allen-Peirson, called for police reformation, community reparations, and institutionalized changes to prevent further racial profiling. Doesnt the business owner have some responsibility for not complying, which also couldve de-escalated the situation? asked Reedlands resident Elizabeth Shapiro on Nextdoor. Then finally, the cop decided to come knock on our store door. Khalif says he wasnt angry, just putting his foot down. Khalif said he wasnt particularly impressed with that statement. It first operated from 80 Main Street before moving in the late 70s into surplus military housing near its present site. 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. Again, Khalif says hell speak to the supervisor, but Madfes insists Khalif is required to give me a lawful reason why youre here.. We do not need to prove to police that we deserve to be at our clothing store way past business hours.. 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. 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. Other people defended the police actions, denying that there was any racial motivation behind the interaction and saying Khalif was in the wrong. 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. They opened the athletic apparel boutique in February. "This particular day we had just received a huge inventory and we just wanted to come out and put the inventory out before Saturday morning," said Khalif. There's video of the interaction and an investigation underway. Khalif said he, Awash and a friend were in the store doing inventory when he noticed a police vehicle circling the block. Then show me its your store, Blasi responds. The pension benefit was split because of a divorce. The argument continued for a few more minutes, with both Blasi and Khalif raising their voices. 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. Ste. He previously worked at The San Francisco Chronicle as a Bay Area news editor and the Oakland Tribune as a senior news editor. Tiburon police sergeant resigns amid racial, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Tiburon police sergeant resigns amid racial profiling claims, Letters: Plethora of problems | Creating AL | Provenance of woke | Teen girls | Public bank. 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. After a few minutes, Blasi and another officer arrived, which is when the interaction starts being recorded. Cronin said he wasnt aware of Blasis involvement in the Grime case when the department hired him last year. It sparked widespread outrage within the community and prompted town officials to order an independent investigation into the officers conduct. 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. The investigation needs to go further than just this incident at Yema, said Adjani, a friend of the store owners. That report led to 72 Philadelphia officers placed on administrative duty, of whom 13 were fired. Khalif believes the best way Marin residents can express their solidarity is by not being bystanders to racist acts. Laurie is responsible for disaster preparedness, maintenance of the Emergency Operations Center and coordination of a wide range of related activities. TIBURON (KPIX/CBS SF) -- The police chief of the City of Tiburon is stepping down , according to a report in the Marin Independent Journal. TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. Officers from both the Tiburon and Belvedere police departments arrived that August 2020 night around 1 a.m., when Khalif, Awash and a friend were stocking clothes at the upscale boutique on . Blasi was hired last year by the department after more than 15 years at the Marin County Sheriffs Office as a SWAT team leader, investigator and gang task-force officer. After Floyds death and ahead of a peaceful June 2 protest in Marin City, Cronin sparked outrage among the community after he issued a statement warning residents to be wary should the demonstration become violent or lead to looting on the Tiburon Peninsula neither of which happened. 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. Town Manager Greg Chanis said the council will be holding a special online Town Hall meeting via Zoom later this week to give residents and the public an opportunity to talk about the incident. 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. The Police Department and Emergency Operations Center are also responsible for developing and maintaining the Emergency Operations Plan for the entire Tiburon Peninsula. The recording shows a Tiburon officer, identified as supervising Sgt. 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. 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 . A video of the incident that Awash recorded was widely shared on social media, and the town released police body-camera footage. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. It does not matter. Blasi offered, and the town has accepted, his voluntary resignation., On the night of the alleged racial profiling incident, Khalif, his wife. Comment at the meeting, or in advance by emailing comments@townoftiburon.org. The encounter escalated when the supervising sergeant arrived on scene. They refused to leave until I proved it, Khalif said in the post. On Thursday, the city of Tiburon and city of Belvedere held a joint virtual community meeting with all sides reacting to the incident. 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. As Madfes walks away and catches up to Blasi, Blasi can be heard saying, He says its his store, thats good enough for me. Mayor Alice Fredericks on Aug. 22 sent out an email to the community apologizing to Khalif and Awash. Michael Blasi arrived and an officer asked her husband to take his hands out of his pockets. 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. Were here because we love Tiburon, and we know that Tiburon loves us back, Awash said. 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. Khalif replies, No, just doing our thing and asks if theres a problem. - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying [Sgt. 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. 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. 49K views 2 years ago Tiburon has released footage from a police officer's body-worn camera of a controversial Friday night confrontation between police and a Black business owner who was. If they had just proved it was their business then that wouldve been it.. At 1 a.m. Saturday morning, Tiburon police officers saw three people inside the clothing store Yema on Main Street and decided to check it out. The department is open to the public. Marin resident Chelsea Ialeggio, who was raised in Tiburon, said she is disgusted by the incident. Khalif said he was wearing the same outfit as the mannequin he was standing next to while talking to police from the doorway. Whatever the intention of the responding offices, the interchange inappropriately deteriorated from helpful to confrontational, Fredericks wrote in an email sent to the community. Where do you live? Madfes says. This street closes at 9 oclock at night, and theres never anybody in here. On Aug. 21, Khalif issued a statement on the companys Facebook page explaining what had happened early that morning. Everything I was saying fell on deaf ears.. Khalif recalled saying, you came here because you saw three Black people in the store.. Footage of the incident on August 21st can be seen on YEMAs Instagram (@Yemacalif). It was organized by Marin City Matters a social activist group created in response to police Chief Michael Cronins warning to residents on June 2 that Sausalito and Tiburon might be targets for unrest linked to a Marin City demonstration over the death of George Floyd during an arrest in Minneapolis. Theyre the ones with the guns, theyre the ones with the badge, theyre the ones with the authority, she said. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Named among the state's & nation's best small weeklies, 2014, 2018-2021 California News Publishers Association &, Store owners: Late-night encounter with Tiburon cops was racially motivated, 2022 The Ark, AMMI Publishing Co. Inc. | 1550 Tiburon Blvd. The couple met at Dominican University of California in San Rafael. "We are extraordinarily sad to report the loss. Awash noted they had been in the shop until about 2 or 3 a.m. the day before. The confrontation led to a rally in Tiburon on Aug. 29 against racial profiling. It first operated from 80 Main Street before moving in the late 70's into surplus military housing near its present site. Michael Blasi, was posted by Khalif to social media later Aug. 21. Awash says shes been stopped in her car by a single officer three to five times in the past year and a half. At least three large posters of Khalif and Awash modeling their clothes are visible on the rear wall throughout the footage. Cronin's announcement comes one week after Sgt. Another said, "I am incensed! His accomplishment was widely covered in the TV and print media, including in The Ark. Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying [Sgt. The county settled with Grimes family for nearly $1 million. Michael Blasi was the supervising officer on Aug.. Khalif and Awash said Chanis, the town manager, reached out to them after the incident, and the three met on Aug. 23. Tiburon police records show that no one called police about suspicious activity at the store, and no alarms had been set off. Laurie can be reached at (415)789-2805. Our store alarm did not go off, no one called the police, everything was peaceful. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. A key component of that training is the expectation that our officers will utilize de-escalation techniques in situations like there. Their pictures are even on the store's walls. 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. Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis announced the resignation in a newsletter saying " [Sgt. Kevin Hessel is The Arks executive editor. Last night we had a not so good exchange with Tiburon police at our place of work. 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. The heated exchange, which began shortly after 1 a.m. Aug. 21, was partially recorded from inside the store by Khalifs friend while his partner and store co-founder, Hawi Awash, stood back from the door. 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 . 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.. U.S. California Police Instagram. 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. Despite resigning, Blasi will cooperate with an independent investigation led by a lawyer the town retained, Chanis said. At one point, 465 members of the public were virtually attending the forum and, in addition to the speakers, we received 79 items of written correspondence.. A Black. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? ", Others responded with different views, saying that officers were just doing their job. 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. There's video of the interaction and an investigation underway. 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. Its nice to see how the community has come together, and that they are saying what they want to see going forward, Khalif said. Required fields are marked *. 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.. Blasi offered, and the town has accepted, his voluntary resignation.. All the applicants expressed an understanding of the events that have transpired in Tiburon in the last eight months, Chanis said. ", Supervisor: "Then show me that it's your store. Was standing next to while talking to police from the doorway was going happen. So good exchange with Tiburon police records show that when people come together good things happen! 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