Harvard Professor Arrested

[stock07 1]

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/download/2...20/20120754.pdf

Anyone else read the police report?....What is everyone else's take on this?....Who was the "real" racist here?

[eric42434224 1]

There is the police officers side of the story, and the Harvard professors story, and the truth likely lies somewhere inbetween.

I doubt that there was any overt or serious racism here. Just over-reactions to frustrations.

[Chadd 916]

The cop taught a course in how to avoid racial bias and to prevent profiling. The professor, and the president, couldn't be more wrong in the way they handled this situation.

[skeeter14 0]

The cop taught a course in how to avoid racial bias and to prevent profiling. The professor, and the president, couldn't be more wrong in the way they handled this situation.

I think it was a bad move by President Obama to deem they acted "stupidly". unfortunately its instances like this (and many others) that prove the country still has a long way to go with regards to racism.

[eric42434224 1]

The president shouldnt have commented on this at all.

[usahockey22 0]

Another reactionary, over-educated professor with a victim mentality.

[kosydar 0]

Maybe its because I grew up with a District Attorney for a father, and lawyers, judges and police as family friends, but in situations like this I typically take the police's side. After reading that Crowley was the one who tried to resuscitate Reggie Lewis and was drastically affected by it after (coupled with what Chadd said about him leading seminars on racial sensitivity), I believe this whole situation was overblown. The fact that the professor is already planning on making a documentary about it is ridiculous. It seems like this is something he is using to promote himself and his cause, at the expense of what appears to be a man just doing his job. Its funny how Obama commented on this. If this scenario would have happened during his campaign, there is no way he would have said anything (as he said very little about his race and race in general). I guess he thought he was safe now that he was elected, but judging by the flack he is catching it appears he isn't.

[TBLfan 25]

I hope the police officer sues this bastard, Gates, for defamation of character.

[Law Goalie 147]

Obama's handlers dropped the ball on this one; sounds like they listened to someone's BS second-hand report without checking it. Said someone will never get those ears again.

[skeeter14 0]

I too tend to take the police's side in these matters, with my dad working for the local police and knowing a lot of its members. I also agree that this is an over-educated guy with a victim mentality. He escalated the incident, and was arrested. Maybe it's my bias, but rarely is someone arrested when they have done absolutely nothing wrong.

I'm more disappointed that this professor, who is obviously well educated, went the cheap route and pulled the race card, as if that would work.

[Chadd 916]

I hope the police officer sues this bastard, Gates, for defamation of character.

Actually Obama is the one that defamed him the worst.

Obama's handlers dropped the ball on this one; sounds like they listened to someone's BS second-hand report without checking it. Said someone will never get those ears again.

His staffers have tried to downplay it. Obama got his info direct from the professor, who just happens to be a friend of his.

The cop taught a course in how to avoid racial bias and to prevent profiling. The professor, and the president, couldn't be more wrong in the way they handled this situation.

I think it was a bad move by President Obama to deem they acted "stupidly". unfortunately its instances like this (and many others) that prove the country still has a long way to go with regards to racism.

The "acted stupidly" comment borders on defamation. My issue was with the follow up comments, those are very troubling. A president should never undermine police authority in the way that he did.

[cptjeff 0]

I'm sorry, but from what I've heard, according to both sides the professor showed him his ID and established that it was his house. Still arresting him is the definition of acting stupidly. Racism charges are probably overblown, and Obama didn't say anything about racism. Whether the professor was black or white, I would still say the cop acted stupidly.

As for a president undermining police authority? Really? Police are human too, they don't always act in a manner deserving respect. Just because they have authority doesn't mean they never misuse it or screw up.

Respect is not a given, police or no. Police departments have in general earned respect because of their prior work. But that does not mean you can't call an individual out when his actions helped create a national news story. Remember, in a defamation case, truth is an absolute defense. And I don't think any jury is going to disagree that it's beyond reason to say that the officer acted stupidly. If he had said "acted maliciously", "acted racist", or "acted illegally", then you might have a case.

[Master P 0]

I'm sorry, but from what I've heard, according to both sides the professor showed him his ID and established that it was his house. Still arresting him is the definition of acting stupidly. Racism charges are probably overblown, and Obama didn't say anything about racism. Whether the professor was black or white, I would still say the cop acted stupidly.

I agree. Getting arrested for disorderly conduct in your own home? Come on. I would be pissed too.

[kosydar 0]

Whether the professor was black or white, I would still say the cop acted stupidly.

Hate to say it, but if the professor was white we wouldn't be talking about it.

[Law Goalie 147]

Obama's handlers dropped the ball on this one; sounds like they listened to someone's BS second-hand report without checking it. Said someone will never get those ears again.

His staffers have tried to downplay it. Obama got his info direct from the professor, who just happens to be a friend of his.

That's astonishing, but it does make more sense to me now. I was having trouble imagining the game of telephone required to convince a serious political operator to tell a president to insert something so incendiary and ill-thought-out into a speech. That they simply got out-maneuvered by a crackpot associate is a little more believable.

Even presidents have irresponsible friends, and it's just possible that it was a sufficiently impassioned conversation to convince Obama that it really did happen that way.

I know people who have done just that to other politicians on a much smaller scale; this is just the same thing writ large.

[donkey87 0]

I'm sorry, but from what I've heard, according to both sides the professor showed him his ID and established that it was his house. Still arresting him is the definition of acting stupidly. Racism charges are probably overblown, and Obama didn't say anything about racism. Whether the professor was black or white, I would still say the cop acted stupidly.

Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct after being warned multiple times that he needed to calm down. All the professor had to do was relax. Police officer make arrest similar to this all the time.

[Darshu 0]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/us/politics/25gates.html

Apparently Obama is trying to mitigate things now, which is reasonable. He's done this sort of thing in the past though, making silly offhanded comments that he ends up apologizing for. Obviously you'd probably be inclined to take your friend's side if he was arrested, but the guy sounds like he just didn't know when to stop antagonizing the officer. I wouldn't be super happy if the police asked me if I was breaking in to my own home, but really, when does yelling at cops ever help the situation?

[Chadd 916]

I'm sorry, but from what I've heard, according to both sides the professor showed him his ID and established that it was his house. Still arresting him is the definition of acting stupidly. Racism charges are probably overblown, and Obama didn't say anything about racism. Whether the professor was black or white, I would still say the cop acted stupidly.

I agree. Getting arrested for disorderly conduct in your own home? Come on. I would be pissed too.

He followed the cop outside and continued to yell at him. He was not arrested inside his own home.

"I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry," Obama said. "Number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home. And number three — what I think we know separate and apart from this incident — is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately, and that's just a fact."

"As you know, Lynn, when I was in the state legislature in Illinois we worked on a racial profiling bill because there was indisputable evidence that blacks and hispanics were being stopped disproportionately. And that is a sign, an example of how, you know, race remains a factor in this society. That doesn't lessen the incredible progress that has been made. I am standing here as testimony to the progress that's been made. And yet, the fact of the matter is that, you know, this still haunts us. And even when there are honest misunderstandings, the fact that blacks and hispanics are picked up more frequently and often time for no cause cast suspicion even when there is good cause, and that's why I think the more that we're working with local law enforcement to improve policing techniques so that we're eliminating potential bias, the safer everybody's going to be."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/22/o...s_n_243250.html

No, there is no accusation of racism in law enforcement there at all.

I'm sure someone will just pass this off as cops protecting their own but...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A black police officer who was at Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s home when the black Harvard scholar was arrested says he fully supports how his white fellow officer handled the situation.

Asked if Gates should have been arrested, Lashley said supported Crowley "100 percent."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090724/ap_on_...resting_officer

[TBLfan 25]

The officer left the home while being yelled at so that he could communicate over his radio. Gates was told that if he wished to speak with the officer the officer would be outside. Gates went outside and continued yelling, causing a scene outside of the home, which drew in a crowd of spectators. He was warned a few times and then put under arrest for disturbing the peace. If he was being loud enough to draw people out of their homes and to draw attention from onlookers, he was disturbing the peace and deserved to be arrested. He wasn't arrested inside his kitchen.

[greech 4]

When I heard Harvard professor + white Cambridge cop, I knew it was getting blown out of proportion. I mean, the guy really did answer the door yelling "This is what happens to black men in America" when he answered the door.

[TBLfan 25]

When I heard Harvard professor + white Cambridge cop, I knew it was getting blown out of proportion. I mean, the guy really did answer the door yelling "This is what happens to black men in America" when he answered the door.

While trying to investigate a break in to this guys home. He was trying to protect the guy and he blows up on the officer. This guy's neighbor couldn't recognize him but this officer is supposed to know who this guy is? The officer even called Harvard University Police to verify the Harvard id.

The media AND the President made a BIG mistake on who the bad guy is. The sad thing is that if someone did break into this guy's house, the police would still help him even after this blatant racism and lack of respect against the police department trying to protect him. I'm sorry but if I break into my home and a cop shows up at my door, I'd be thankful that they wanted to verify me as the resident instead of just taking my word for it... How would Gates feel if his house was being robbed and the officer took the crook's plead of being the homeowner as good?

Damn shame this officer was doing his job.

[greech 4]

That's exactly how I feel. The professor is exploiting it because of who he is. Had there been a real break in, we'd all be saying what a hero he is.

It is the most thankless job in America.

[RecLeagueHero 0]

This guy's neighbor couldn't recognize him but this officer is supposed to know who this guy is? The officer even called Harvard University Police to verify the Harvard id.

Actually, I think that's a big part of this. If you read the police report Gates just doesn't seem to be able to get over the fact the cop didn't know who he was.

[TBLfan 25]

This guy's neighbor couldn't recognize him but this officer is supposed to know who this guy is? The officer even called Harvard University Police to verify the Harvard id.

Actually, I think that's a big part of this. If you read the police report Gates just doesn't seem to be able to get over the fact the cop didn't know who he was.

Oh the officer knows who he is. He(Gates) is a fucking asshole.

[stock07 1]

I'm sorry, but from what I've heard, according to both sides the professor showed him his ID and established that it was his house. Still arresting him is the definition of acting stupidly. Racism charges are probably overblown, and Obama didn't say anything about racism. Whether the professor was black or white, I would still say the cop acted stupidly.

As for a president undermining police authority? Really? Police are human too, they don't always act in a manner deserving respect. Just because they have authority doesn't mean they never misuse it or screw up.

Respect is not a given, police or no. Police departments have in general earned respect because of their prior work. But that does not mean you can't call an individual out when his actions helped create a national news story. Remember, in a defamation case, truth is an absolute defense. And I don't think any jury is going to disagree that it's beyond reason to say that the officer acted stupidly. If he had said "acted maliciously", "acted racist", or "acted illegally", then you might have a case.

Yea, you obviously did not read the police report at all....The officer tried to place himself away from Gates a number of times but was continuously followed and yelled at...Gates and people like him(white and black) are by far the reason racism is still well alive and kickin in this country...Contrary to what the main stream media say's, there is no such thing as reverse racism. Its either racism or it isent, reverse would of course be "not racist"...Do me a favor and read the entire police report and then make a comment on the subject, not comment on what you heard from such and such...

This guy's neighbor couldn't recognize him but this officer is supposed to know who this guy is? The officer even called Harvard University Police to verify the Harvard id.

Actually, I think that's a big part of this. If you read the police report Gates just doesn't seem to be able to get over the fact the cop didn't know who he was.

Oh the officer knows who he is. He(Gates) is a fucking asshole.

I agree totally.....