Renowned African-American scholar Gates arrested; claims racism

“They did not believe him when he said that he was in his own home,” Counter said. “He was totally mistreated in this incident.”

Common reaction by officers, they find a man trying to open his door and depending on his color will react differently.

If the man was white and the same thing happened the officers would help him in.

But if black or other, look out your going to jail because you must be robbing the place.

So typical of police.....

I wait for the defenders of racism by police who will say the usual b.s..

Wait, this could have been totally avoided if the first words out of his mouth were "This is my house" and then all he had to do was show the ID with the adress on it. If he showed proof of residence then there should have been no problem... its kinda up in the air and can't tell who is telling the truth. Either the officer is fibbing a bit in his report (in which case there is certain cause to be angry about the situation), or this guy made a mountain out of a mole hill.

He refused to identify himself. End of story.

He refused to identify himself

Obviously he was sick of being asked to identify himself. I guess that's what happens if you are not white and you live in America.

The woman that reported the case did not recognize the guy? Or perhaps only just saw "black man" and then immediately closed the curtains and made the call?

elbudamexicano: keys do wonders for opening locks.

An officer ordered the man to identify himself, and Gates refused, >according to the report. Gates began calling the officer a racist and >said repeatedly, “This is what happens to black men in America.”

How asinine. If a white guy did the same thing he's also be arrested.

As a mixed Race child of a black man and an Asian woman, I am wondering why the hell this is considered news. This isn't anything new and is not even news worthy might I add. Had he shown some I.D., or better yet not forgotten his keys, this could have been avoided. On the other hand, I understand perfectly why he was probably tired of having to show ID in his own neighbor hood.

Well, what were the police supposed to do? After Gates said that it was his house were the police supposed to just walk away? Isn't it natural for them to ask for proof? What should they have done if they asked for proof and the request was spurned?

Yes, Gates may have been "mad as hell and...not going to take it any more", but he has to bear the consequences of his choice not to be cooperative.

He needs to get a 99¥ key necklace. -All the kids wear them, or maybe he needs to call Mom to open the door for him.

Seriously, call a locksmith instead of damaging the door. -Don't they teach logic in schools anymore?

Maybe one of those trick key-rocks. -Don't worry I won't tell about your secret rock.

I suppose when he locks himself out of his car he just breaks a window -How Ghetto!

nandakandamanda at 08:24 AM JST - 21st July He refused to identify himself. End of story.

Good point, but what if he did show his id. What then? Here is a link for you....

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/07/20/harvard_professor_gates_arrested_at_cambridge_home/

Here is what everyone that knows him are saying;

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 for several hours last Thursday, they said.

So who is lying? Of course the fine officer would never fudge his report just to prove a point now would he?

Who was this professor and what is his background?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Louis_Gates,_Jr.

Read up on the man and you may get a different picture than what the officer is trying to paint.

I love the terms folks are using here, how interesting;

Badsey at 09:43 AM JST - 21st July -How Ghetto!

I wonder why would you us such a term? Things that make you go, hmmm.

JoeBigs,

When in doubt, go with the simplest answer. A woman saw a black man trying to shoulder his way throw a door in her neighborhood. She thought this was suspicious and called the cops, and after the man refused to identify himself, they arrested him on suspicion of breaking and entering.

Forget conspiracies, this is a misunderstanding, from start to finish. Is racism involved? Maybe, but who is to say that a gut reaction is racism?

i don't think i'm racist but it has been my observation that sometimes black people have a chip on their shoulder and will attribute any treatment that they don't agree with as being unfair because they are black. i can understand why they may feel this way but doesn't help the situation.

Mr. Gates is so much into his field of study about the African-American that even ordinary everyday thing could be literally against the black race. If a particular race of people build a reputation for themselves it is very hard and takes a very long time to clear the name. Men with beards and holding the nationality of an Islamic country is suspected of being terrorist; ladies coming from South East Asia (sometimes having a Phd) is first thought to be a maid or a sex worker. It is very sad but this is the way humans react.

The scholar could have just calmed down and shown his ID or whatever other evidence available to prove his identity. After all, it was the authorities that were asking for it. Maybe, it was a bad day for the professor!

“You don’t know who you’re messing with,”

They would have known if you'd produced ID like you were asked to. Then you could have thanked them for their swift response to the call on a suspected break-in at your house.

I wonder, does this Gates bloke ever ride his bike across a red light, or take his 5-year-old kid to baseball games and let the kid run wild? If so, he's got some soulmates on JT.

Maybe, it was a bad day for the professor!" Well, he did forget his key and perhaps it was at that moment he had to take a leak.

What a twat. This guy should have just told the policeman who he was. If he had just produced some ID (or at least gone to one of his neighbors),　this whole incident would have been averted. But no, he had to act like a total idiot and push the matter when it did not need pushing.

When all this is cleared up, hopefully the cops will charge him with either wasting police time (by escalating the matter unnecessarily), or obstructing the police in the performance of their duties.

Yes, JoeBigs, he did produce the ID later inside the house, but by then things had escalated.

One thing I really do not like is someone telling me, “You don’t know who you’re messing with”. To hell with the color/colour of their skin.

To the cops, it's a red rag to a bull. It sounds like someone trying to swing their influence, it smacks of arrogance and corruption, and expectation of special treatment.

Not for nothing, but this incident can be good for him.

An officer ordered the man to identify himself, and Gates refused

This is an Ivy League "scholar"? What an idiot.

Counter said he spoke to Gates, who told him police continued to question him after he showed them his license and Harvard identification.

Well, what's good with identification if it isn't going to be accepted as legal? Oh, that's right... IDs should be considered fake unless thoroughly proven to be legal. Suspects should be considered guilty until proven innocent. I thought it should be the other way around?

He's gonna get paid big time!

er...Hotbox, the guy had already caused problems, so producing the ID only proves who you are. It does not solve the problem of refusing to produce in the first place, losing your cool, calling a cop a racist, and then threatening the cops with 'you don't know who you are messing with'". Quote: An officer ordered the man to identify himself, and Gates refused, according to the report. Gates began calling the officer a racist and said repeatedly, “This is what happens to black men in America.”

But as skip says, there's money in this. But in the twisting and the shouting, other people, and truth itself will pay the price.

I don't know what to think of this case, but if I saw someone trying to nudge a door, even one who looked like me, I either ask him who he is or if he's bigger than me, I'd call the police.

Unless you have had the Black experience, you can't help but read many ill-informed, scare mongering comments as opinions.Weak.

So I guess his neighbor is racist too for calling the police in the first place.

harmoneeikaiwa: Unless you have had the Black experience

I think most foreigners get the "black experience" by being foreign in Japan.

This man is a "nutter":

-neighbor call the cops on him for breaking into his own home. -Police don't believe him either. -General public don't believe him.

=This man needs to accept that he is a nutter (A Nutty Professor) and post a few signs and wear the Nutter badge. That way society can continue to f(x) and he can continue his work. There is no use trying to explain these people since you cannot understand them anyway.

the guy had already caused problems

You're right, nandakandamanda. Both Gates and the cops were causing some problems for each other. Things got out of hand on both sides. I guess until a thorough investigation is done, and we hear both sides of the story, we won't know who started what, and if proper protocol was followed by both parties.

The point is, we shouldn't condemn both the cops, nor Gates for being guilty until proven innocent. Then again, Gates will probably make his side of the story look bad for the cops, while the cops will probably make their side of the story look good for themselves. The unfortunate consequence is that we may never know the true story.

NO surprise to me darlings. America is very very intolerant of minorities.

The poor dear may have PTSD and i bet society in America don't care. It is beastly and backwards compared to Europe.

Gates is an educated idiot.

"America is very very intolerant of minorities"

Har! That must be why Rice was our last Secretary of State and Obama is our president, because we're very very intolerant of minorities, lol...

I don't see why there was a problem after he produced his ID's. But the problem was that "officer" did not like being told by a colored man who was in his own home "you don't know who you're messing with". So like in many cases of racial profiling the "officer" decided to push his badge. Now he really gets to see who he messed with.

I think most foreigners get the "black experience" by being foreign in Japan.

Good point lib! I seem to remember that somebody famous (as a Japan scholar) said something in the 1950s along the lines of "Anybody who wants to experience the sort of institutionalized racism experienced by Negros in some Southern US States should live in Japan for 12 months." I just cannot remember who said it though.

Moderator: Back on topic please.

One thing I really do not like is someone telling me, “You don’t know who you’re messing with”.

The unfortunate thing is, until it is proven in a court of law, that Gates said this, is a matter of "He said ..."

One thing that is not mentioned in this article is that Gates had just come back from a trip to China and had an infection which inhibited his breathing; which would make it difficult for him to "raise his voice" as the police has claimed he did.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_harvard_scholar_disorderly

One thing that is not mentioned in this article is that Gates had just come back from a trip to China and had an infection which inhibited his breathing; which would make it difficult for him to "raise his voice" as the police has claimed he did.

Gosh..Another excuse

Perhaps this nutter didn't get the Obama socialist/Marxist manifesto memo yet.

=This man needs to be taken in, questioned and quaranteened. (We have Fema camps for this) When all pertinent information is extracted (to the satisfaction of the socialist empire and its' bankers) he may be let back into his previous nutter existance.

“exhibited loud and tumultuous behavior.”

Gosh .. Another excuse

exhibited loud and tumultuous behavior.”

Gosh .. Another excuse

Agreed,

Being loud and tumultuous always makes a police pause.

The funny:

Front door was ajar (He had the key). Him and the driver (another Prof) with backpacks on try to jar the door open. Door would not open, so he opens the back door and finally they are able to get the door open. He calls the Maint company right away (house is leased thru Harvard) to get the door fixed. Police come and question him inside the home and his nutter side comes out.

He has a great series on PBS where he goes back to Africa and where they find out thru DNA what part(s) of Africa where you are most likely from.

Being loud and tumultuous always makes a police pause.

Then I guess it gives the police every right to arrest you if you were found to be "tumultuous", for example, having a BBQ party on your own property. Heck, in the States, I've seen disorderly drunks, yelling obscenities at police, not being arrested and questioned like this. All they are given is a stern warning and sent home.

Point is, until the results of this case are made clear, the clear definition of what constitutes "loud and tumultuous" behavior is vague at best, and thus an excuse. At what point did Gates' behavior become loud and tumultuous? Did he spit in their faces? Were neighbors complaining? Did he strike or punch at the cops? Was Gates in anyway a threat to the police or anyone else? We won't know until proven in a court of law.

Superlib Trying to equate being white in Japan as being on the same level, as a black person in Japan,is telling the biggest fairytale since the 40 acres and a mule were promised.

He refused to identify himself Obviously he was sick of being asked to identify himself. I guess that's >what happens if you are not white and you live in America.

I'm sick of having to show my passport at airports, and I'm also sick of paying income taxes. Obviously the vast majority of non-whites (your term) in the US don't mind showing their ID and just walking off.

I don't see why there was a problem after he produced his ID's. But the >problem was that "officer" did not like being told by a colored man who >was in his own home "you don't know who you're messing with".

Possible yes but Speculation. But in most if not all States in the US, failure to comply with an LEO's instructions is sufficient to bring charges, period.

There's a substantial difference between the article as written here and, say, the account of it on NPR.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106838498&ft=1&f=1001

In the article as written here, my sympathies are entirely with the police. In the NPR article, which to me sounds more plausible and is certainly more detailed, my sympathies are entirely with Gates.

In the NPR article, Gates was already in his house when the police arrived. I'm no legal scholar but it seems as though they may have had grounds for warrantless entry. However, at the point that Gates showed ID, the police needed to take a more deferential approach. Gates needed to encourage that approach by avoiding belligerence.

So far it's they-said-he-said. It looks to me as though a discrimination suit may be coming. Perhaps the city thinks its best defense is a judgment of disorderly conduct as evidence that the arrest was legitimate.

"America is very very intolerant of minorities"

America just elected a Black president if you hadn't noticed. Anyway, the left must perpetuate racism since their political agenda, and votes, depend on it.

Gates is the director of Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research and served for 15 years as chairman of what is now the Department of African and African American Research.

Being so steeped in his own ethnicity, I would venture to guess this guy blames everything in his life that doesn't go just right on racism.

Sarge at 09:21 PM JST - 21st July Gates is an educated idiot.

Psssssst, Sarge the Cambridge DA dropped the charges. The "educated idiot" may have been telling the truth.

Helter_Skelter at 05:16 AM JST - 22nd July Being so steeped in his own ethnicity, I would venture to guess this guy blames everything in his life that doesn't go just right on racism.

It appears that you may have to revise your story there Helter_Skelter as I stated above the DA dropped charges and made a grand statement of how this was just a "was regrettable and unfortunate".

Translation, opps so we made a mistake......LOL

SezWho2 at 12:43 AM JST - 22nd July So far it's they-said-he-said. It looks to me as though a discrimination suit may be coming. Perhaps the city thinks its best defense is a judgment of disorderly conduct as evidence that the arrest was legitimate.

If there was a case to be made, then they (PD and the DA) would have made it. But they (both) want this thing to just go away. The question is why?

Why would the police want to drop the charges? Why not go forward with these charges? If the officer's statement is correct, then it is an open and shut case. So why drop the charges?

Could it be that Mr. Gates was not at fault here and the officer wanted to prove a point? Things that make you go, hmmmmmm.

Facts be the killer, he was released and now the Cambridge PD wants this just to go away.

Racial profiling? Maaaaaaybe....

Funny how some people shout racism every time they feel something has gone against them. And why raise the racism issue in the first place ? Why not just complain about a wrongful arrest ? None of the cops used racist language or racist abuse. And why couldn't this 'eminent scholar' just be polite when questioned ? A member of the public called the cops to report a suspected break in, so the cops have to do their job and investigate. And for an eminent Harvard University Professor who has a home in Cambridge to claim that the system is racist and life is treating him unfairly is a contradiction in itself.

Fool, trying to break into his own home.

So .. Dr. Gates refused to ID himself, he immediately lodged a racism charge against cops who were just trying to their jobs, and he finished off by saying "you don't know who you're messing with."

Even if Dr. Gates didn't actually commit a crime ... he's guilty of being a first-class jackass.

The cops broke the law. Warrantless entry, Mr. Gates didn't break law. That is why they drop all charges and apologized. They have no case and the cop wanted to be a badass. Unfortunately, the Prof has more clout than him. They have eyewitness that support Prof. Gates claims which means the cop may have been bending the truth.

The cops were called and a robery in progress was reported, this house had been broken in to many times before... thats probable cause for police entry and when they see people inside of a house that has had a robery reported on it they ask for ID.