The Cambridge Police Department view of a Black scholar
Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., one of the nation’s pre-eminent African-American scholars, was arrested at his home by Cambridge police investigating a possible break-in. The incident raised concerns among some Harvard faculty that Gates was a victim of racial profiling.
Police arrived at Gates’ Ware Street home near Harvard Square at 12:44 p.m. to question him. Gates, director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard, had trouble unlocking his door after it became jammed.
He was booked for disorderly conduct after “exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior,” according to a police report. Gates accused the investigating officer of being a racist.
Friends of Gates said he was already in his home when police arrived. He showed his driver’s license and Harvard identification card, but was handcuffed and taken into police custody…
The Cambridge Police will no doubt come up with whatever they feel is justification for arresting a man standing on his own property – telling the coppers to get off that property – when it’s already been established there is no crime in progress.
Public relations nightmare. Who ever made the arrest is going to be remembered and even if they keep their jobs the boss is not going to forget they’re problem people who should never be promoted.
1 deowll,
What you really meant to say is that the police officer is going to be put on paid administrative leave and then given his gun back after the three week “investigation” concludes that both parties were are fault and the officer has been enrolled in community awareness programs.
“even if they keep their jobs the boss is not going to forget they’re problem people who should never be promoted.”
THAT was funny.
@deowll
A police force that is responsive to their citizens? Surely you must be joking. The police aren’t paid to think they are paid to bust heads and generate revenue. Like mob muscle with an attitude problem.
Intelligent man arrested by stupid police officer.They better take Barney’s bullets away from him.I for one am shocked that there is racism in the United States.
This is incredulous. Of all the people these idiots had to pull this with, they had to chose this man. PR nightmare is right. I can see this really blowing up in their face.
I’ve really enjoyed the documentaries and PBS shows that I’ve seen him do so far. He’s a very likable and believable in those. I can see him using this as a launching board for a whole new discussion of profiling and can make it look very bad for the idiots who pulled this.
What the HELL are the police thinking. If you’re INSIDE your house, have an ID showing it IS your address, and the cops assume you’re a thief (because you’re black)? Of COURSE you’re going to be loud and tumultuous. Those officers should be fired IMMEDIATELY and never let back into any force in the nation. They should be mall cops for the rest of their lives. Asshats.
Isn’t “uppity” a crime everywhere?
Police acted correctly.
From the article: “then followed the officer outside,”
He was arrested OUTSIDE his home after being warned and continuing to be an asshole.
Yes, even Harvard Professors can be assholes==just like all you rabid apologists who leap to conclusions.
He’s black it’s his own fault.
that’s sarcasm by the way.
Assholes come in all colors.
This story really needs the BS Meter. His side of the story really sounds fishy.
Who is the bigger asshole:
The few who mislead the many, or the many who allow themselves to be mislead?
So the police receive a call about about a possible break in and when they arrive the person breaking into the house refuses to identify himself and is then arrested.
What’s missing?
Should the police NOT arrest people who look like they are breaking into houses and do not identify themselves? Mr.Gates should have identified himself to the police.
I am thinking there is more to this story, and the spin is all about racist white cops. I’ll bet one of the cops was black, and I have a feeling the guy was belligerent. I may be wrong, but somehow, I doubt that a black man quietly sitting at home was hauled in. A guy can be arrested for being a prick to cops, even if he lives there.
I smell a lawsuit…and rightly so!
Don’t recall a Massachusetts asshole law but if a real law was broken, fine.
I find it horrible to try and qualify this as ‘racial profiling’ when it seems more clear that this is a hate crime. Plain and simple Hate Crime. I’m sure the Professor was miffed at the least when he started being questioned in his own home about him being the burglar even after showing ID. Seems if cops want to mess with you, they just do regardless of the circumstances. I sure hope the cops have some kind of audio/video recording so that charges can be placed on the real criminals in this case. No matter which party it may be.
“The FACTS” are these: cops were called by neighbors to the scene. Gates was either in his house or outside. He either showed proof of who he was or he didn’t. Gates was loud and abrasive and was OUTSIDE at the time of his arrest. Gates either was or wan’t given a warning to STFU or he would be arrested.
Can we all agree on the above?
Demonstrating how *all* issues should be approached, the considered thing to do is for each of us, armed with our own values, history, outlook, fears and desires, should add or subtract HYPOTHETICAL FACTS to find Gates worthy of being arrested then NOT worthy of being arrested, or vice versa as you predilection demands.
Match your various scenario’s to the various fact scenario’s that get presented.
Its fun.
Its called thinking.
Try it.
The Prof did this just for some cred with the students.
looks like the cambridge police departement is about to go broke…
imagine being dumb enough to arrest someone in his own house, with id, who is a professor from the MOST PROMINENT LAW SCHOOL IN THE NATION!!
wait till the whole law school turns out for this trial….
the whole police department just best shoot themselves and get it over with quickly!!
but really i cant wait to see their agony in court..
#19–olo==I like your thinking. I’m also struck by how reasonable non-racial profiling would justify this arrest. Just look at the terrorist goatee the guy is signing with.
Black people at Harvard… geeze, pretty soon women will want to go there too.
Read a few of the reports, not just one. He had to break into his own house which caused the phone call from the neighbour. Gates should have figured that out.
The officer still didn’t believe he lived at the house after Gates showed him two photo id’s. Things got testy after that, especially when the officer refused to give his name and badge number.
Probably Gates shouldn’t have lost his temper – sometimes you have to be an adult even when the other person is an idiot. However the officer completely buggered this one.
call me biased/jaded..
IMO, they should arrest the entire harvard facilty (and faculty) -and ship them off to another planet.
Harvard grads infest and screw up our way of government way more than they’ll ever help it (especially the lawyers)
While we’re at it, grab the freakazoids from all the [original] Ivy League colleges and boot’em out the country. they produce more freaks of nature than Nature itself.
-I’d keep MIT off the list only if they let me in on all the toys they’re dreaming up for DARPA.
As for Mr. Gates Jr…i find it hard to believe the police did not know who they were dealing with, unless he’s new to the community.
Failing that, i’d say someone was sending him a message. i’ve seen this exact same scenario played out all too often in the city.
-s
For those who think there is more to the story, you simply don’t understand police in America. You are giving way too much credit to the police on this matter, what you need to understand is that police are the weakest, dumbest, most ignorant people in society. When a young man has no direction in life and has gotten in trouble a few times for bullying or petty theft and general attitube problems, he is directed towards a career as a police officer. There is not more to the story, they are stupid, aggressive, ignorant assholes and pigheaded doesn’t begin to describe their approach to dealing with the public. They are protected by powerful unions and will never be fired. Never, under any circumstance, trust a cop.
Amazing…. He was’nt Tazed!!
I can’t believe anyone would not begin to get hot and start to say a few caveman words when the cops arrest you in/at your own home for breaking in?.. Seems a mite rediculious to me. Criminals with a Badge/ thugs with Tazers and Guns.. Never ever trust a cop. Its really that simple. But a lawyer should have known not to say anything. If a cop gets a chance to Taze or shoot you..he’ll do it with pleasure, and brag about it with his buddies. We do not have professional police force in America. The level of policing varies from city to city and state to state, each time you are approached by an officer, you have a very good chance of having a very bad day.
To the degree it is true that the police are pigs – – –
what is wrong with a Harvard Professor with a life time of interaction with the police, who acts as if police aren’t what they are?
Silly Man. I’m white and a pillar of the community and quite able to express an opinion or two. I STFU around police. Yet I could never get into Harvard, much less teach there, much less get tenure, much less be a world reknown expert in race fu*king relations which is mostly about the police?
I think Gate’s base line competency to teach anywhere should be reassessed.
He was not arrested for breaking and entering. The man did show his ID or the cop would have arrested him for suspected breaking and entering.
The cop did something to tick off this man and while one would hope a professor would be able to keep his cool better, I suspect, he went off on the cop.
My question is, is it a crime to be an *sshole on your own property? If the police are going to start arresting people for being jerks on their own private property, we had better tiple taxes because I suspect 99% will be in jail (I exclude 1% for the rare “Mr. Fred Rogers” –from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood– type).
This is a clear abuse of police authority and they know it …that is why they were ordered to drop charges.
Yes, lets just blindly assume the police report is totally factual. I mean I’m sure that BART cop’s report said the guy they were holding down when he shot him was that he was loud and beligerent too. I mean cops are NEVER biased on their *own* Police reports.
How life imitates “art”?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106266/