NO SHORTAGE OF COPS IN BOULDER WHEN CONFRONTING A BLACK MAN PICKING UP TRASH IN HIS OWN YARD

Black man collecting trash from his OWN yard is confronted by at least FIVE cops yelling at him to 'put down your weapon' even though he was only carrying a litter-picker

By Chris Pleasance

Daily Mail
March 6, 2019

Distressing video has revealed how a black man was confronted by at least five police officers while picking up trash outside his own house in Colorado.

Footage taken from inside the home in Boulder shows the man, who is identified as Zayd by his friend, having an angry conversation with an officer on Friday morning.

Boulder police have now launched an investigation after the video caused fury when it was posted online, and say the officer who initially confronted the man has been put on administrative leave.

As the video starts, Zayd can be heard telling one cop, who has his gun drawn and pointed at the ground, that he has 'no right' to be detaining him.

Meanwhile the cop can be heard shouting back at him to 'put down the weapon', referring to the litter-picker in his hand.

Reinforcements soon arrive as at least four other officers surround an increasingly irate Zayd, while his friend shouts at them to leave from inside the property.

Zayd can be heard repeatedly telling the officers that he lives at the property.

At one point he claims there are eight officers surrounding him, though only five are visible at any one time in the video.

After almost 15 minutes the situation begins de-escalating and Zayd goes over to have a conversation with one of the officers.

The two men spend several minutes talking before sharing a fist-bump as Zayd walks back into the house and the video ends.

Boulder police say they are now investigating the incident.

A police press release said the altercation began after an officer saw a man sitting in a partially enclosed patio area behind a private property sign around 8.30am.

The officer asked the man whether he was allowed to be there, to which the man said he lived there and was picking up trash.

He then showed the officer his school identity card.

The officer detained the man to investigate further and then called for backup, saying the man was unwilling to put down 'a blunt object', meaning the litter-picker.

A supervisor and several other officers responded to the call, but left after determining that the man had a right to be there.

On Monday morning the police force launched an internal affairs investigation.

The Professional Standards Review Panel - which is made of six community members and six members of the police department - will then review the findings and provide a recommendation to the chief of police of any further action.

Police Chief Greg Testa spoke to the city council on Tuesday night during which he said the incident was 'extremely concerning' and promised a full investigation.

'All aspects of this incident, specifically the actions of the initial officer are being investigated,' he said.

The probe will include interviews with everyone who was involved in the incident, and reviews of all footage including body camera footage.

Protesters held up trash grabbers during the meeting and clacked them together along with signs that said 'black lives matter'.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A black man carrying a dangerous weapon in a place where he didn’t belong - I’m surprised they didn’t call out the SWAT team.