Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Arrested For...

[BKupInHere]

..."Owning a Home While Black"!

www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/21/massachusetts.harvard.professor.arrested/

Harvard professor Gates arrestedStory Highlights
African-American scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. charged with disorderly conduct

Cambridge officer came to his home last week after report of break-in

Police report: Gates refused to ID himself, accused officer of racism

Gates' lawyer and fellow professor writes about incident on Web site The Root

updated 1:36 a.m. EDT, Tue July 21, 2009Next Article in Crime »


From Deb Brunswick
CNN

(CNN) -- African-American scholar and Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested last week on a charge of disorderly conduct after a confrontation with an officer at his home, according to a Cambridge, Massachusetts, police report.


Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested last week on a charge of disorderly conduct.

According to the report, officers responded to a call Thursday from a woman who said she saw "a man wedging his shoulder into the front door" at Gates' house near the university. The report, obtained by CNN affiliate WCVB-TV, indicates Gates refused to identify himself to a police officer, claiming the officer was a racist.

Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department stated in the report that he told Gates he was investigating a report of a break-in at the residence. According to the report, Gates "opened the front door and exclaimed, 'Why, because I'm a black man in America?' "

Crowley wrote in the report that he warned Gates two times he was becoming disorderly. After Gates continued to yell and accuse him of racial bias, Crowley wrote he arrested Gates for "loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space."

A statement by Gates' lawyer and fellow Harvard professor Charles Ogletree said that the incident occurred when Gates returned to his home after a trip to China.

Gates, accompanied by a driver, found the front door damaged.

He entered the house with his key through the rear door. Then, he and and driver were able to force the front door open, Ogletree said in his statement.

The statement was published on the Web site The Root, of which Gates is editor-in-chief.

An officer arrived and told Gates he was investigating a call about a breaking-and-entering at the residence, Ogletree wrote.

Gates identified himself at the officer's request, according to Ogletree.

"He [Gates] turned to walk into the kitchen where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver's license to the officer," Ogletree wrote on The Root.

Ogletree's statement also said that Gates asked Crowley for his name and badge number several times without success.

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Then, when Gates followed Crowley to the front door, Crowley said, "Thank you for accommodating my earlier request, and then placed him [Gates] under arrest," Ogletree said.

The Cambridge Police Department would not release any information regarding the incident.

Gates has one of 20 prestigious "university professors" positions at Harvard University, according to WCVB, and joined the faculty in 1991. He is considered one of the nation's pre-eminent scholars of African-American studies. In 1997, Time magazine placed him on its list of the 25 most influential Americans.

[LejaOMG]

My mom told me about this last night, but I had NO idea it was my boy Ol' Hop & Drop. Oh em gee!!

[peppermint]

*Unpopular opinion*

His response was partly inappropriate. Yes it was his house but at least the neighbor called the police when he/she noticed something suscipious. People don't know their neighbors like they used to. If it was dark, it's possible that he/she didn't recognize that it was Dr. Gates. He could have easily identified himself and let it die.

[Julie Art]

I was thinking the same thing Peppermint.

[Bunny Hop]

Yeah because he's going to break into someone's house during the day in a red striped polo and jeans...



I think this is one of those nosey neighbors with nothing going on. If she had a clear view of the house to see what was going on how could she not know who lives there? It's been a while since I've been cool with my neighbors but I dayum sure know who lives where and about how many people live there. When you live somewhere these are things you just notice and you don't have to be that cool with them to know stuff like this.

[peppermint]

<----- has lived next to people and would not be able to identify them on the streets (isn't proud of this fact)
<------ having grown up in "da hood" knows that people do not always wear masks and all black to do break ins and robberies. Some will actually attempt to look like everyday people on the street as to not attract attention.
<----- would be glad if my neighbor called the people if he/she believed my house was being broken into

[Julie Art]

Jul 23, 2009 11:18:04 GMT -5 peppermint said:

<----- has lived next to people and would not be able to identify them on the streets (isn't proud of this fact)
<------ having grown up in "da hood" knows that people do not always wear masks and all black to do break ins and robberies. Some will actually attempt to look like everyday people on the street as to not attract attention.
<----- would be glad if my neighbor called the people if he/she believed my house was being broken into

I don't know what the neighbors to the left of me look like. At all period. Only neighbors I can identify is the sweet guy to the right of me, and the nice lady that lives across the street from him. Other than that, I can't identify. That's bad, but it is what it is.

[Sapphire]

Okay so I have a question that will probably get me yelled at, but who cares? Here it goes:

Are you giving Obama a pass because he’s Black or did you feel that what he said was totally appropriate? I watched the news conference the other day and felt some kind of way when he called the police department (i.e. that one specific officer, but jus ain’t wanna say it) “stupid” on national tv. Now don’t get me wrong I thought it was stupid to arrest Gates in his own home for disorderly conduct after everything that happened. It was understandable that he was offended. The officer should have apologized for the misunderstanding, indicated that he only responded to the call because that’s his job and left. It shouldn’t be a crime to get an attitude with someone who’s insulted you in your own home. Plus those bamas (including the nosey asz neighbor) should have known who he was given the fact he lives in the community and he’s a prominent national figure.

Anyway, Obama is the President. As soon as I heard the words “acted stupidly” come out of his mouth I felt some kind of way… not sure if it’s because of how others (Whites, police) would take it and view him or feel alienated by him, or if it’s because I felt it was inappropriate and unpresidential. I’m not sure. But I knew when he said it that it wouldn’t go away very quickly. Imagine his kids friends at school, “ah ha the president says your daddys stupid.” LOL. I’m somewhat glad that this happened to a famous person and a personal friend of the POTUS no less. It’s good for the public discussion and awareness about racial profiling. And if he hadn’t been a friend, he may not have commented at all. But when it’s all said and done should the President of the United States call private citizens stupid on national tv for instances like these? Should words like this (or stronger) only be used in cases like Timothy McVeigh, Amadou Diallo or the NYPD who shot a gazillion bullets at an unarmed man? Or was this okay? If McCain was the president and the cop was black would Reb’n Al be talking about it on every news channel? Would there be a thread on OOA? Would you be offended? Just asking.

[Bunny Hop]

He didn't call the department stupid...he said they acting stupidly meaning their actions were stupid. To me calling you stupid and saying you did something stupid are not the same thing. I'm not giving him a pass because he's Black...if Bush or Clinton had said the same thing I would agree. I think their actions were wrong and he of all people should speak out against stuff like this. Police acting stupidly is nothing new and at some point they should stop getting passes or slap or the wrists.

[T-Rex91]

I agree Bun! Some say he shouldn't have used the word at all but being POTUS does not negate your right to your own opinion. He said it and he qualified it with "arresting someone after they've established that it's their house", but it's a flammable soundbite so the media won't let it go. It's sad that through his response to this final question that was only one of two off topic in the entire press conference and it's all anyone remembers.

[Sapphire]

I agree with 91 about the last question... I was actually surprised that he answered the question at all. I thought he was going to say this is about health care so please stay on topic or something like that.

But I do think it's somewhat of a technicality on the acting stupid versus being stupid. I think he just should have not answered or come up with a better response. He's an educated man... frankly I'm surprised that he didn't phrase things differently.

And no BH police acting stupidly is certainly nothing new. That's unfortunate.

[T-Rex91]

his whole demeanor, the crack about how he'd be shot jiggling the lock on the WH door, the way he answered this question said that uncharacteristically he considered the press conference over. I too was surprised but appreciated his candor.

[Sapphire]

I LOL"d when he talked about getting shot.

[Bunny Hop]

So a lot of the stuff that came out before WRONG. The caller (who was not the old lady) didn't say it was 2 Black men...she didn't even mention race until she was asked about it and even then she said one guy might be Hispanic and she can't tell about the other one.



I still don't have a problem with the way he reacted. He showed them ID and that should have been it. I would have acted an azz too in the same situation...so would my mother and my father. I don't know how much race played a part in it but I do have to wonder if Gates had been an angry white guy would the cop just have apologized and kept it moving. Or it could have been another case of police and their power tripping so race would not have mattered...IDK.

I should have known better to go off the initial information because that isht is always skewed or wrong in some way.