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 ...
But you weren't trying to create a problem from nothing where you could race-bait and claim victim status to get your name back in the news.
Hey Mr. Gates. No one cares if you are black.
That isn't what Gates says. He says he presented a photo ID and the cop arrested him anyway in his own home for doing nothing!. It is amazing here that so many folks here are willing to take the cop's word as gospel truth over the word of a property owner citizen arrested in his own hom.
omg lol perfect!
Gates said he did present his photo ID and the cop still arrested him in his own home!. If that is true, it is no wonder he is screaming racism. I would too if I was in his situation.
I can’t find a copy of the police report. I did find this, though:
“The police report said Gates was arrested after he yelled at the investigating officer repeatedly inside the residence then followed the officer outside, where Gates continued to upbraid him. ‘It was at that time that I informed Professor Gates that he was under arrest,’ the officer wrote in the report.”
Sounds to me like a fairly simple matter of “contempt of cop.”
I'd LOVE to know how they figured this out.
It looks like he eventually did, after he accused the cops of racism and pulled the "You don't know who you're messing with" line (which is basically threatening a cop). He probably only quieted down and produced ID after the cops said they were going to arrest him for his actions. And given who we're talking about, I don't believe this line:
"They did not believe him when he said that he was in his own home"
Apparently, from what I gather, the police officer accepted his ID as proof of who he was, then Gates was arrested after following the police officer outside while continuing to harass and berate the officer for "racism."
“Don’t you know who I BE"
Sheesh.
The idiot sounds like a racist, both for thinking just because he was black something was happening to him and because who was doing it must be racist because of their skin color. Prejudice, pure prejudice.
That's not what happened at all. Read the article and then try to apply a little common sense. Gates acted as belligerently as possible to simple routine questions. Then as the police officers were leaving he attacked and threatened them and deliberately provoked an incident. Then he played the I'm a victim of racism game.
.Did you even bother to read what Gates (a citizen home owner arrested in his own home) said? He says that he presented a photo ID proving it was his own home but was arrested anyway! It is quite revealing that the police report was taken down, isn't it? It is amazing that folks here are so ready to automatically take the word of government official over a homeowner arrested in his OWN HOME! Believe it or not, cops lie sometimes and citizens tell the truth.
Yes, it is an interesting read. Clearly the cop had to investigate and make sure Gates was indeed in his own residence and not an intruder. Sounds like Gates had already provided ID (after some initial reluctance) but just wouldn’t shut up and stop yelling at the cop, depite multiple warnings. Not really behavior becoming a university professor.
I suppose the cop could have just continued to walk away and that would have caused Gates to eventually shut up and stop disturbing the peace. I imagine all the “You don’t know who you are messing with!” talk made him less inclined to cut him that break. I’m thinking most LEOs hear “You don’t know who you are messing with!” as “Please arrest me, I’m begging you, please arrest me! I really want to go to jail!”
The "do you know who I am?" card is usually played only by athletes and actors. This is the first time I've seen it played by an "academic." Pretty amusing. Of course the fact that he played the race card is no surprise.
And then, if they still don't find you, they'll put you into that database of people who aren't in any database.
That’s not what Gates says. That is the what cop said and it is quite revealing that the police report is no “longer available.” Now...Gates says he did ask for their ID (but that HIS RIGHT AS A FREE CITIZEN) but he also says he presented his ID. Why do you automatically accept the government’s version of events? Do you do that in the case of Obama too?
The police should indicate the good professors address in their database, and not respond to any calls at that location. Maybe one of his black brothers will help him in redistributing the wealth.
I think he was having Count Chocula...
“If that is true, it is no wonder he is screaming racism. I would too if I was in his situation.”
Sop, if it were to happen to a white guy what does he get to scream?
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