Boulder officer resigns, video released of encounter with man picking up trash
Boulder police jumpy af. WATCH OUT MEN HE'SBLACK GOT A TRASH GRABBER!
Around 8:20 a.m., he saw Zayd Atkinson, 26, of Boulder outside a building. After noticing a "Private Property" sign near where the man was sitting, Smyly asked if he lived there. Atkinson, who was holding a trash grabber and bucket, said he did. When Smyly asked for his unit number, Atkinson said, "I don't think I actually have to tell you that." He provided his school ID, which read that he studied at Naropa University.
As Smyly explained that Atkinson was being detained so he could verify his address, he also asked that Atkinson put down the trash grabber.
"Sit down… You have a dangerous object in your hand," Smyly is heard saying in body camera footage.
"I have a dangerous object? I'm picking up trash," Atkinson responded.
Smyly again asked Atkinson to sit down and said he was being detained. At this point, Smyly had his Taser in his hand.
"Your hand is on your weapon and you're gonna shoot me?" Atkinson said. "That's what you're gonna do, officer? You're gonna shoot me on this property for picking up trash? That's what you're going to do, officer?"
At one point, Atkinson raised his voice and Smyly reported that "he felt threatened by the trash grabber and drew his Taser and later transitioned to his handgun. Both weapons were pointed in a downward direction in front of the officer," according to the report. Smyly would later say he drew his handgun because Atkinson was wearing a heavy coat and he didn't know if it would be effective.
"That's a gun," Atkinson said, according to the body camera footage. "I'm picking up trash. I'm picking up trash and you're holding a gun."I'm
He asked if Smyly would shoot him if he didn't put the trash grabber down.
"If you use that weapon against me then yes, that is a consideration," Smyly responded.
Boulder police jumpy af. WATCH OUT MEN HE'S