Police Chief Questioned By Council About Trash Pick-Up Incident

BOULDER, CO -- One day after Boulder police launched an internal investigation into the actions of an officer who confronted a black man picking up garbage outside his own house, city council members had some questions of their own for Police Chief Greg Testa. The council chambers were packed with community members, according to the Daily Camera, some with "Black Lives Matter" signs, others clicking trash grabbers—the alleged "blunt object" the man was holding when approached.

On Friday, a Boulder police officer observed a man sitting in a partially enclosed patio behind a "Private Property" sign in the 2300 block of Arapahoe Avenue. The officer approached the man to see if he was allowed to be on the property, according to the release, and the man stated that he both worked and lived in the building and presented the officer with his school identification card. The officer nonetheless detained the man, and according to council testimony by Testa, drew his gun, although Testa said he kept it pointed downward.

Testa read a prepared statement to the council, and heard their questions, although he declined to answer some of them due to an ongoing internal investigation into the incident. He confirmed the presence of an unholstered gun, and in response to a question from councilman Aaron Brockett, gave an update on a department review on bias, which he said should be published next month.

Charles Lief, president of Naropa University, where the man was a student, spoke out in support of the man, who he said did not want to become a symbol of an issue within the city.

"Students, staff and faculty of color at Naropa, and other institutions, have all experienced various degrees of racism living in this community," he said, according to the Camera. "I do not want to underestimate the amount of trauma that was experienced by our student, who was the victim in this situation."

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Get more details from the Camera here.