Is it your store? 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. A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. Khalif becomes increasingly frustrated as Blasis requirement shifts: Did you identify yourself? ", 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.". Awash began recording as Sgt. What is it that theyre fearing?. 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. The settlement was announced. 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. A key component of that training is the expectation that our officers will utilize de-escalation techniques in situations like there. 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 begins asking the same questions as the first officer, including what the three were doing there late at night. "He demands to know what we are doing at the store at 1 o'clock in the morning and he wants me to prove who I am," said Khalif in an interview with ABC7 News. TIBURON (KPIX/CBS SF) -- The police chief of the City of Tiburon is stepping down , according to a report in the Marin Independent Journa l. Chief Michael Cronin is resigning after 12 years. Where people know me? Yema's wife says the officer had his hand on his gun. Tiburon police records show that no one called police about suspicious activity at the store, and no alarms had been set off. TIBURON, Calif. . Then we see Tiburon police car patrolling. Michael Blasi resigned after the release of police body-cam video showed Blasi and other officers questioning whether Yema Khalif and his wife Hawi Awash had a right to be in their own downtown store after hours. 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. Whatever the intention of the responding officers, the interchange inappropriately deteriorated from helpful to confrontational, Fredericks said in the statement, adding that Tiburon officers are trained and expected to de-escalate situations such as these. But this goes to show that when people come together good things can happen.. Everything I was saying fell on deaf ears.. Ste. Both Khalif and Awash said they noticed a Tiburon police car driving slowly by their storefront while they were working inside with their friend about 1 a.m. Aug. 21. 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. Blasi and two other officers then leave. The town announced Blasis resignation on Tuesday. Based on this belief, Sgt. As Madfes walks away and catches up to Blasi, Blasi can be heard saying, He says its his store, thats good enough for me. Blasi joined the Tiburon Police Department in June 2019. It looked like they were harassing him and I thought, This has gone on for several minutes, Simpson said. He doesn't believe that would have happened if he was white. We received new inventory during the day so we went back to our store, on Main street Tiburon California, to work late. On Aug. 21, Khalif issued a statement on the companys Facebook page explaining what had happened early that morning. Mayor Alice Fredericks issued an apology on Saturday and went in person to talk to the store owners on Monday. Cronin quickly apologized, saying he stood in support of peaceful protests in Marin City and condemned racism, social injustice and police brutality. Khalif recalled saying, you came here because you saw three Black people in the store.. In the post, 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. 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. Chanis said neither Cronin nor Blasi are able to comment due to the pending investigation. Several months later, the store was named Tiburons Business of the Month. Your email address will not be published. He opened the store this past February and says it's not unusual for them to work late into the night. A patrol officer saw people in the store at 1 a.m. and questioned why they were there. The Tiburon Police Department has 12 sworn officers and four other employees, plus volunteer and reserve officers. 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. 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. 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.. Marin City Matters member Paul Austin said Blasis resignation is a step in the right direction, but there is more work to be done starting from the top down. Michael Blasi, was posted by Khalif to social media later Aug. 21. Really? Our community needs to come together and find real ways to train our police officers to police with empathy and love., Marin police face-off with Black merchant fuels, 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 face-off with Black merchant fuels outrage, probe, Draymond Green explains his issue with Black History Month: Why do we get the shortest month?. "Had that white neighbor not said anything that night, maybe Yema wouldn't be here with us today and I would let that sink in for a minute," says Hawi Awash. 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"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. All Rights Reserved. Khalif was also a speaker at the 2018 Belvedere-Tiburon Librarys Pop-Up 94920 series. In our 50th year serving Tiburon, Belvedere & Strawberry. The argument continued for a few more minutes, with both Blasi and Khalif raising their voices. What is it that theyre fearing?. The officers immediately left the store. Khalif, who designs most of the companys clothing, grew up in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. In our 50th year serving Tiburon, Belvedere & Strawberry. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! The supervisor demanded Khalif put his key in the door to prove ownership when a neighbor shouted at police identifying him. Grime died in a hospital two days later. 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. This is around 1AM. Madfes says there isnt, but that hes never seen anyone in the store so late. Khalif: "If I tell you it's my store then what? Some police officers have used digital media to brag about their racially violent exploits. 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. The department also updated its use-of-force policy to align with calls to de-escalate police encounters with the public. In the video, Khalif is at the door of his own store talking with a Tiburon police supervisor. Matthew Tom is a Homepage Editor at SFGATE. 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. 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. And he wanted us to prove who we are. The people in the store included co-owners Yema Khalif and Hawai Awash, the only Black store owners in town. It is clear that did not occur in this instance.. I expressed to him that there was no crime going on and we were going about our business. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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.. 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. / CBS San Francisco. The county settled with Grimes family for nearly $1 million. TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- A Black business owner is speaking out after Tiburon police demanded proof he was the store's owner. I sat in on these interviews, but did not participate, Chanis said. Awash, however, said this is not the first negative interaction with Tiburon police; she said shes been stopped more than five times by another officer. Next time, just walk and the audio and video cut out. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. Blasi stepped in and was recorded arguing with Khalif while the patrol officer and a Belvedere officer stood by. 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. 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. videotaped confronting a Black business owner, Public File for KBCW-TV / KBCW 44 Cable 12. Protesters march Saturday, Jan. 28, in Memphis, Tenn., over the death of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police. "I didn't see anything racist that the policemen said to those fine people. After Khalif asks four times what happens next if he acknowledges it is, Blasi says Khalif should be grateful that the officers are looking out for his shop. When we hire police, the police chief makes a recommendation, but the town manager approves every hire.. It was saddening to see that there wasnt any recognition from the police involved that this was a situation where they made a mistake.. During the arrest, Grime fell unconscious and died in the hospital two days later. Awash was born in Ethiopia and lived as a refugee in Kenya before moving with her family to Minnesota. 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. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. The incident, early last Friday morning, is now the subject of an independent . Again, Khalif says hell speak to the supervisor, but Madfes insists Khalif is required to give me a lawful reason why youre here.. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith were fired on Jan. 20 after an administrative investigation found they had violated department policy on the. At the conclusion of the investigation, the findings will be presented to her and the rest of the Tiburon Town Council. The next time I come here and there are three totally different people in here I dont care what color they are three people in your store at 3 oclock in the morning, do you want us to walk by and not do anything? Blasi said. 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. 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. 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. That's all we want to know. The confrontation led to a rally in Tiburon on Aug. 29 against racial profiling. Blasi offered, and the town has accepted, his voluntary resignation., On the night of the alleged racial profiling incident, Khalif, his wife. I opened our balcony door to Main Street, and I heard one of the officers saying, If this is your store, put your key in the door and prove it.. 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. A Tiburon police spokesperson tells ABC7 News the town has hired an outside, independent attorney to conduct an investigation. The argument continued for a few more minutes, with both Blasi and Khalif raising their voices. He was among 17 applicants for the position. Doesnt the business owner have some responsibility for not complying, which also couldve de-escalated the situation? asked Reedlands resident Elizabeth Shapiro on Nextdoor. "He has fostered partnerships, communication, and trust within our community, and his philosophy toward successful law enforcement practices has substantially moved our department forward.". Khalif says he wasnt angry, just putting his foot down. 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. DeSantis coming to CA as new poll shows him leading Trump, Ice flies off SUV, smashing windshield: 'You could kill somebody'. Michael Blasi arrived and an officer asked her husband to take his hands out of his pockets. Can you prove that its your store?, Khalif: I do not have to prove anything to you, its my store., Blasi: Oh my god, yes you do have to prove who you are., Khalif: I do not have to prove my existence to you.. They opened the athletic apparel boutique in February. 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. Cause you dont sound like youre very grateful. 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