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A Colorado Black man was detained by police officers while he was picking up trash in his yard. Zayd Atkinson, 26, believes that police targeted him because of the color of his skin according to The New York Daily News.

The incident took place on March 1 when an officer asked Atkinson of he was allowed on the premises. He showed the officer his student identification and key card for the building. However. the situation escalated when he refused to follow the officer’s orders.

Atkinson was confronted by an officer on March 1 and asked if he was allowed on the premises. He presented his student identification and key card for the building, but the situation escalated when he refused to follow the officer’s other orders.

“I had not done anything illegal, therefore there was no reason for me to comply,” Atkinson told “Good Morning America.” “I continued to go back to work and pick up trash and clean up my grounds.”

The officer pulled out his firearm and kept it pointed at the ground during the encounter. The officer called for backup, and several officers arrived at the scene. Video from the incident shows eight cops in his yard.

Eventually, a building supervisor confirmed that Atkinson lived there and the officers withdrew.

Atkinson told Good Morning America he’s still trying to get over the “traumatic experience” and he’s had a tough time sleeping since the incident.

“I’m not surprised that this happened to me and I won’t be surprised if it happens again tomorrow, or the next day, until we do something about it,” he said. Siddhartha Rathod one of the attorneys representing the 26-year-old said this problem is typical of the area.

“This is an all-white community that has historically treated minority communities differently. It has historically had problems with minority communities,” Rathod said.

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