*Dammit! Here we go again. Another black man getting hassled by the police for basically being black while working.
Specifically, we have the story of a a black man who was minding his own business, picking up trash from in front of his own home in Boulder, Colorado when he was confronted by a cop, accusing him of trespassing.
If that wasn’t a crazy enough assertion by the officer, he went a step further and called for back up. Eight other officers responded! The unidentified man was also detained despite him saying that he actually lived and worked in the building. The man also showed the officers his school identification card. Still, the man was detained.
It just so happens there is video of the bizarre event, published on YouTube and on social media. It was filmed on the morning of March 1 by the man’s house mate. What you see is a man with a bucket and a long item in a front yard of a townhouse complex. An officer appears to be talking to the man and has his hand on his hip.
“He’s picking up trash,” the person filming says repeatedly, as the man and the officer exchange words at a distance. “He lives here,” the person filming says. The officer is then joined by other officers and the man and the officers appear to be yelling at each other. The video ends with all the officers walking away.
After the incident, the Boulder Police Department released a statement that recounted officers’ version of events and announced an internal affairs investigation.
“A Boulder police officer observed a man sitting in a partially enclosed patio area directly behind a ‘Private Property’ sign and initiated contact with the man to determine if he was allowed to be on the property,” the department said.
The “blunt object” was determined to be a grabber used to pick up trash, something the person filming the video stated several times.
“Officers ultimately determined that the man had a legal right to be on the property and returned the man’s school identification card,” the release concluded. “All officers left the area and no further action was taken.”
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As CNN notes …. in recent months, instances of civilians and police confronting black citizens have attracted national attention, and it didn’t take long for the incident in Boulder to spark ire in the community. On Tuesday evening, the Boulder City Council Meeting was filled with angry and concerned citizens demanding answers.
“This is a very concerning issue, and one we’re taking very seriously,” Boulder Police Chief Greg Testa told the crowd. “All aspects of this incident, specifically the actions of the initial officer, are being investigated.”
Testa also pushed back on the assertion that the officers had their guns drawn during the encounter.
“In contrast to what was stated in the video that is on social media, body worn camera video indicates that only one officer had a handgun out, and it was pointed at the ground,” he said. “I’m not mBlack Man Aaking excuses, I’m just trying to provide some needed context in terms of that specific aspect.”
Meanwhile, the initial responding officer, whose name hasn’t been released, has been placed on paid administrative leave.
The department has also launched an internal affairs investigation. Boulder police spokeswoman Shannon Aulabaugh said police could not provide further details until the investigation gets completed within 60 to 90 days.
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