Khalif, who designs most of the companys clothing, grew up in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. The Tiburon Police Department was established in 1972 following the towns incorporation by eight years. He's hoping the recorded interaction will inspire a different conversation. "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. Blasi and two other officers then leave. Before opening their Tiburon storefront, the couple started selling their clothing online in 2016. Monaghan has taught administration of justice at the San Mateo Community College District. 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. Michael Blasi was the supervising officer on Aug. 21 during the incident at Yema, a clothing store on Main Street. 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. 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. At the conclusion of the investigation, the findings will be presented to her and the rest of the Tiburon Town Council. - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! A Black man can not say that, but a white man can.. 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. D, Tiburon, CA 94920 | 415-435-2652 | Privacy Policy| Designed by Kevin Hessel. 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?. I want to know what you're doing in the store at 1 o'clock in the morning," says the supervisor. "I didn't see anything racist that the policemen said to those fine people. Kevin Hessel is The Arks executive editor. Ste. Khalif and Awash say they had already seen the car circle the block three to four times before it stopped outside the shop, where they say it sat for about 15 minutes before the start of the town-released body-cam footage and that they had anticipated what was about to happen next. 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. Footage of the incident on August 21st can be seen on YEMAs Instagram (@Yemacalif). In the post. Based on this belief, Sgt. During the arrest, Grime fell unconscious and died in the hospital two days later. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? He opened the store this past February and says it's not unusual for them to work late into the night. 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. Town Manager Greg Chanis said Blasi has had several conversations with town officials since the incident. Reach him at 415-435-2652, on Twitter at @thearknewspaper and on Facebook at fb.me/thearknewspaper. Some days we have to work late. Cronin quickly apologized, saying he stood in support of peaceful protests in Marin City and condemned racism, social injustice and police brutality. Awash also noted the tone of the officer, saying he came off a little bit aggressive and suspicious. She said he didnt identify himself or ask if they were working late. It is unclear whether or not the police received a 911 call that prompted their presence at YEMA late that night. The Tiburon Police Department has 12 sworn officers and four other employees, plus volunteer and reserve officers. Thats all we want to know, Blasi says. The department also updated its use-of-force policy to align with calls to de-escalate police encounters with the public. 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. Cronin will step down on Sept. 13 after serving 12 years as the chief of police, according to a statement released by Tiburon Town Manager Greg Chanis. 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. Blasi begins asking the same questions as the first officer, including what the three were doing there late at night. Maegan Hall, the female officer at the center of the scandal, has been fired, city officials 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. Cronin quickly apologized, saying he stood in support of peaceful protests in Marin City and condemned racism, social injustice and police brutality. Chanis said 60 people provided public comment during the four-hour forum. Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, FL Gov. 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. Protesters march Saturday, Jan. 28, in Memphis, Tenn., over the death of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police. ", Others responded with different views, saying that officers were just doing their job. The supervising officer, Tiburon Sgt. I sat in on these interviews, but did not participate, Chanis said. After the video of the incident was posted on Yemas Instagram and went viral, discussion caught like wildfire across social media platforms. @shaunking @beyonce @chakabars @lauraharrier @buzzfeed @nowthisnews @aljazeeraenglish @cnn @bbcnews @latimes @nytimes @wsj @ava @shondarhimes @kuz @kingjames @oprah @voguemagazine @essence @adutakech @tiffanyhaddish, A post shared by YEMA (@yemacalif) on Aug 21, 2020 at 3:33pm PDT. 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. After another shop owner yelled at police, telling them the couple did own the store, the officers left. 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. Nearly all the comments expressed outrage with Tiburon police with calls to hold the officers accountable. In our 50th year serving Tiburon, Belvedere & Strawberry. Email: mtom@sfgate.com. 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.. This isn't regular business hours, there's no customers in there. On August 21, a recording of three officers, including Blasi, went viral on Instagram where they can be heard questioning Yema Khalif, the owner of YEMA, which is the only Black-owned clothing store in Tiburon. This isnt regular business hours, theres no customers in here. In an Aug. 24 interview, Khalif said he had no doubt the officers confronted him because of his race and said he was still traumatized., I could have been another statistic, I could have been another George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, but I did not take the bait, he said. Blasi] believes it would be difficult to continue being effective as a police officer in Tiburon. Video @sherlavars pic.twitter.com/WH5S9Sktxu. 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. Cronin's departure comes on the heels of Sgt. 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. It was saddening to see that there wasnt any recognition from the police involved that this was a situation where they made a mistake.. Copyright 2023 KGO-TV. Body cam and cell phone footage shows the altercation as it unfolds. "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. I have been stopped for taking a walk to my house. 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 fashion wear boutique at 10 Main St. owned by Khalif and partner Hawi Awash, Tiburon residents who are also the designers and models for the brand. 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. 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. Thank you, see ya, Blasi says as he turns and walks away toward Fountain Plaza. Cronin denies his departure is linked to the incident. 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. 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. Cronin declined to declined to identify the other two officers other than to say one works for Tiburon and the other for Belvedere. We do not need to prove why we need to exist, Khalif said. Whatever the intention of the responding offices, the interchange inappropriately deteriorated from helpful to confrontational, Fredericks wrote in an email sent to the community. Im like, wait, did this happen in Tiburon? The Tiburon Police Department was established in 1972 following the town's incorporation by eight years. 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. After Cronins exit, the town arranged for Undersheriff Jamie Scardina to run the police department on a part-time interim basis while a consulting firm recruited a new chief. 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. 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. In the video, Blasi eventually says Khalif should be grateful that the officers are looking out for his shop. Khalif: "If I tell you it's my store then what? It is clear that did not occur in this instance.. We are focused on how to prevent this from happening again, she said. You sound very defensive.. 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The town announced Blasis resignation on Tuesday. The couple say they had received a large shipment of merchandise and that they and a visiting friend and business associate had been restocking the store to prepare for the weekend shortly before a patrol officer knocked on the door and questioned why they were there. I can no longer sit idle and watch the (Tiburon Police Department) inhumanely treat the citizens and business owners of our town. Comment at the meeting, or in advance by emailing comments@townoftiburon.org. You know what, put the key in the door and were outta here., Khalif is seen picking through his keys as he tells Blasi to stand back and not raise his voice at him: Just chill and Ill put my key in the door., Before he can, neighbor Ken Simpson, a part-time resident of a Main Street apartment, yells down twice, Thats his store.. 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