Posted on 07/21/2009 8:02:38 AM PDT by FromLori
Henry Louis Gates Jr, America's most famous black scholar, has accused local police of racism after he was arrested while trying to break into his own home near Harvard University.
According to a police report, officers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, were called to the house on Thursday afternoon after a woman said she had seen a man "wedging his shoulder into the front door as to pry the door open".
According to police, an officer ordered the man to identify himself and Prof Gates refused.
He allegedly began calling the officer a racist, repeatedly saying: "This is what happens to black men in America." Officers said they tried to calm down the 58-year-old academic only for him to tell them: "You don't know who you're messing with." Prof Gates, who was named as one of the 25 most influential Americans by Time magazine in 1997, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after police said he "exhibited loud and tumultuous behaviour". He was released later that day and is due to appear in court next month. He is the director of Harvard University's WEB du Bois Institute for African and African American Research.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Actually, I've read several articles about this. From what I had previously read, it appears to me that Gates was inside his house when the police arrived. Here's an excerpt from an AP report:
Gates' lawyer, fellow Harvard scholar Charles Ogletree, said the professor had returned from a trip overseas with a driver, found his front-door jammed and had to force it open. He was already inside, calling the company that manages the property, when police arrived.Maybe you want to rethink your position on this?
ML/NJ
This might be an interesting thing to consider, but the police did not witness the "break-in." A neighbor did, and reported it to the police.
ML/NJ
From the description, he started yelling racism before he even tried to do anything else. Knowing liberals’ respect for authority, I would not doubt that he became mouthy and didn’t know when to shut up.
However, I have been in situations where a cop threatened to arrest me for “disturbing the peace” for daring to question their motives.
Actually, not complying with the police doesn’t necessarily make one a criminal.
I think the poster is asking why you accept the version of events presented by the Police automatically.
I didn’t accept it automatically. I read the article and applied a little common sense to the facts presented. This is not complicated.
Cops had a legitimate suspicious activity report ... and the prof knew that he had just entered his house by means that might legitimately be construed as potentially criminal.
He just doesn't come off well, here.
And yes ... I've been in a similar situation.
Politeness and a driver license solved it quickly with no fuss.
And maybe the cops should know whom they are working for, especially when the guy is world famous (or infamous) and known to object to the misuse of authority.
ML/NJ
As I understand, the arrest came after Gates followed the officer to his car—on a public street—still raising a fuss. That got him the arrest for disorderly conduct.
Stuff and nonsense.
The cops had a legitimate investigation into a reported break in ... “Don’t you know who I am” is crap ... so was the prof’s attitude. Your precious little “world famous professor” knew he had broken in. By your own account he was calling to have the damage repaired. That must have looked like a crime in progress. If he had any brains, and any common decency, he’d be thanking his neighbour instead of pissing and moaning about the cops.
He's not precious to me. I think he's a schmuck. But even schmucks have rights, or at least they ought to IMHO.
ML/NJ
schmucks have the right and duty to identify themselves to the police when they show up.
Maybe if you read any of the reports, you would see that he did identify himself with his Harvard ID and his Massachusetts Drivers' License, but they arrested him anyway.
And since you know it to be a "duty," by which I take it that you mean it to be a legal obligation, maybe you could cite the statute that you think makes it a requirement to identify oneself to the police in his own home.
ML/NJ
According to police, an officer ordered the man to identify himself and Prof Gates refused.
if police get a call about a burglary, go to the residence, see a person fitting the description, see signs of forced entry, and the person gives them bad answers and refuses to ID themselves, then yes, the police have probable cause to take the person into custody and question them to a certain degree.
from what i got from this story, once this guy ID'd himself the cops were leaving but he escalated the situation. they did arrest him but not for burglary.
ML/NJ
THIS is the article I read and commented on.....if you wish to show me others then post a link to them. I DID read this article before posting.
If he's so famous, why have I heard of him only in news accounts about this incident? Perhaps some news writers have an inflated opinion about him.
And/or
know his neighbors
hide a key
realize 0 won (but for you, laws still apply)
Gates said in a statement that he turned over his driver's license and Harvard ID — both with his photos — and repeatedly asked for the name and badge number of the officer, who refused.Also interesting, I see in the article that the house has an alarm system which the police are probably aware of. (Gates disable it by entering through a rear door, before he and his driver went to work on freeing the front door.)
ML/NJ
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