Boulder To Host Meeting On Racial Equity After Police Incident

BOULDER, CO -- The Boulder City Council will hold a special meeting tonight, Monday, March 18 in order to host a public conversation about community values and racial equity. The meeting was scheduled after the Boulder Police Department launched an internal investigation into the conduct of an officer who approached a black man who was picking up trash outside of his own home on March 1.

A video of the police encounter was widely shared on social media. In it, an unidentified officer repeatedly asked Naropa student Zayd Atkinson to put down a clamp he was using to pick up garbage, referring to it as a weapon. In remarks to city council the following week, Police Chief Greg Testa said that one officer involved in the incident drew his gun, but kept it pointed at the ground.

The officer involved has not been publicly identified and is on paid administrative leave during the internal investigation, which is expected to take 60–90 days, according to Testa.

Tonight's meeting is intended as an opportunity for council members to hear from the community. According to a statement from the city, there will be several invited speakers, including Reverend Mary Kate Rejouis and poet Norma Johnson. Members of the public are invited to speak during public comment and may sign up in the Municipal Building lobby beginning at 4 p.m. As usual, public comment for community members is limited to two minutes per person. Three community members may pool time for a total of four minutes.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers in the Municipal Building, 1777 Broadway. The meeting will be televised on Comcast channel 8 and livestreamed on boulderchannel8.com.

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