# Professor Skip Gates arrested in front of his own home; claims racism from Cambridge police **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 21, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709 "2009-07-21T02:20:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/141 "2009-07-26T10:14:07Z")
> [@Ivorybill](#): > > Again, directly from the police report: > > “With the Harvard University identification in hand, I radioed my finding to ECC on channel two and prepared to leave. Gates again asked for my name which I began to provide. Gates began to yell over my spoken words by accusing me of being a racist police officer and leveling threats that he wasn’t someone to mess with. (snip) When Gates asked a third time for my name, I explained to him that I had provided it at his request two separate times. Gates continued to yell at me. I told Gates that I was leaving his residence and that if he had any other questions regarding the matter, I would speak with him outside the residence.” > > Not an accurate statement by the police report (and recall, you’re the one who brought up [the police report](http://www.amnation.com/vfr/Police%20report%20on%20Gates%20arrest.PDF). I’m merely transcribing it). Sgt. Crowley had left the professor’s porch. Mr. Gates continued to make a scene. Sgt. Crowley warned Mr. Gates that he was becoming disorderly and should calm down. Mr. Gates continued to yell at Sgt. Crowley. Sgt. Crowley got out his handcuffs and warned Mr. Gates that he needed to calm down. Mr. Gates ignored the second warning. Sgt. Crowley arrested him. > > So it’s not accurate to imply that Sgt. Crowley lured Mr. Gates onto the porch and cuffed him the second he got out there. > > Look, I understand you have some beef with this, not sure exactly what your beef is, but the actions you describe are not consistent with the police report that you yourself brought up to support your arguments. Why can’t you grasp the fact that even if Crowley’s version of events are 100% true they still constitute an abuse of power and wrongful arrest. The man was on his porch criticizing the officer. That’s not a public nuisance. That is a bogus trumped up charge to punish him for being disrespectful. No one really gives 2 shits what Gates said, he could have been hurling insults like he had tourettes, he didn’t commit a crime and therefore can’t legally be arrested. You have made up your mind that Gates is an asshole. I’m inclined to agree with you, but that doesn’t absolve the institutional issue that has been raised here. Does being an asshole with a temper mean you have no rights? Does that mean a cop can arrest you whenever you make him unhappy? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/142 "2009-07-26T14:39:06Z")
> [@Ivorybill](#): > > Not an accurate statement by the police report (and recall, you’re the one who brought up [the police report](http://www.amnation.com/vfr/Police%20report%20on%20Gates%20arrest.PDF). I’m merely transcribing it). Sgt. Crowley had left the professor’s porch. Mr. Gates continued to make a scene. Sgt. Crowley warned Mr. Gates that he was becoming disorderly and should calm down. Mr. Gates continued to yell at Sgt. Crowley. Sgt. Crowley got out his handcuffs and warned Mr. Gates that he needed to calm down. Mr. Gates ignored the second warning. Sgt. Crowley arrested him. > > . Assuming that is true, I have no problem with someone being arrested after ignoring a SECOND warning to either calm down or STFU outside of their house. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/143 "2009-07-26T16:45:14Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > Yes, so you agree that Crowley told Gates to come outside, Come outside =/= Come outside and yell at me ---
**Author:** ![Ivorybill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ivorybill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivorybill)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/144 "2009-07-26T17:11:26Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Does being an asshole with a temper mean you have no rights? Does that mean a cop can arrest you whenever you make him unhappy? Dude. I’m on record as saying I don’t like the idea of Americans getting arrested on their own porches. I do agree that racial profiling is bad and that abusive cops are bad and that too often cops abuse their discretion by arresting upset people. I can believe all that and believe that in _this particular instance_ _this particular cop_ didn’t act like the cops you describe above. I live in New Orleans. We have no shortage of surly cops who abuse their badge and cuffs and guns. I don’t think Crowley abused his. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/145 "2009-07-26T17:20:53Z")
> [@treis](#): > > Come outside =/= Come outside and yell at me And why would any thinking person believe that taking 10 steps outside onto the porch would miraculously cause a person who was upset and yelling to stop being upset and cease yelling? Isn’t it more likely that “Come outside” and “Come outside and yell at me” are the same suggestion in this case? Would you suggest or encourage, if you were a LEO trying to de-escalate the situation, that a person who was causing a ruckus inside his home should come outside his home, where the exact same behavior that is legal indoors becomes disturbing the peace? I ask you. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/146 "2009-07-26T17:32:50Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > And why would any thinking person believe that taking 10 steps outside onto the porch would miraculously cause a person who was upset and yelling to stop being upset and cease yelling? Isn’t it more likely that “Come outside” and “Come outside and yell at me” are the same suggestion in this case? Would you suggest or encourage, if you were a LEO trying to de-escalate the situation, that a person who was causing a ruckus inside his home should come outside his home, where the exact same behavior that is legal indoors becomes disturbing the peace? I ask you. It isn’t the responsibility of the cop to keep Gates from being arrested. He had done what he needed to do, was leaving, and informed Gates of the fact. Yeah, it was foreseeable that Gates would follow him outside and cause a disturbance, but so what? It isn’t the cop’s responsibility to sit there and be yelled at until Gates was done so that he could leave without Gates creating a disturbance. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/147 "2009-07-26T17:49:06Z")
> [@treis](#): > > It isn’t the responsibility of the cop to keep Gates from being arrested. He had done what he needed to do, was leaving, and informed Gates of the fact. Yeah, it was foreseeable that Gates would follow him outside and cause a disturbance, but so what? It isn’t the cop’s responsibility to sit there and be yelled at until Gates was done so that he could leave without Gates creating a disturbance. The officer could have said, “Goodbye” and left. Instead, he suggested Gates come outside and continue the conversation, knowing damn well what was going to happen next. He was not planning to leave. The police report says he was going outside to talk more on his radio. ---
**Author:** ![Ivorybill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ivorybill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivorybill)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/148 "2009-07-27T02:08:06Z")
> [@treis](#): > > It isn’t the cop’s responsibility to sit there and be yelled at until Gates was done so that he could leave without Gates creating a disturbance. Furthermore, if Sgt. Crowley was having trouble communicating with HQ and if the folks at HQ could hear the yelling as Sgt. Crowley was trying to make a transmission, there is the possibility that HQ would confuse the yelling with a significant problem and order back-up into the house and things could have gotten even more out of hand. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/149 "2009-07-27T16:55:44Z")
They’re releasing the 911 call and all the radio communications on the news at the moment. The transcripts should be out later. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/150 "2009-07-27T17:18:24Z")
> [@Ivorybill](#): > > I do indeed realize that being a jerk isn’t a crime. There are statutes, however, that allow police officers to use their discretion as to whether a person is being a public nuisance. Too often these are abused and cops that abuse them should face the consequences. I don’t think Sgt. Crowley abused the public disturbance statute in this particular instance. Having read the Mass. public disturbance [statute](http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/272-53.htm), sounds like it’s _begging_ to _be_ abused: > [@](#): > > Section 53. Common night walkers, common street walkers, both male and female, common railers and brawlers, persons who with offensive and disorderly acts or language accost or annoy persons of the opposite sex, lewd, wanton and lascivious persons in speech or behavior, idle and disorderly persons, disturbers of the peace, keepers of noisy and disorderly houses, and persons guilty of indecent exposure may be punished by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than six months, or by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment. “Idle persons”? “Night walkers”? Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Ivorybill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ivorybill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivorybill)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/151 "2009-07-27T17:56:21Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > “Idle persons”? “Night walkers”? Jesus. Not to nitpick, but Jesus wasn’t listed in the regs. They’d probably stop him and ask for ID, though. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/152 "2009-07-27T18:29:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Having read the Mass. public disturbance [statute](http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/272-53.htm), sounds like it’s _begging_ to _be_ abused: > > “Idle persons”? “ **Night walkers** ”? Jesus. Yeah, this town is great, except for all the frickin blood sucking vampires 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/153 "2009-07-28T15:06:04Z")
> [@Ivorybill](#): > > As a fellow with a Ph.D., I find it incumbent on the person with the most education and experience to keep his head. What a disgustingly elitist viewpoint. “Only people with PhDs have self-control. The rest of the unwashed masses can’t help getting angry–they’re just a bunch of dumb brutes. Humor them, won’t you?” Calming down angry people **is the police officer’s job**. What part of that don’t you understand? > [@Ivorybill](#): > > I do, however, understand why the arrest happened, do not believe that it was racially motivated, and don’t think the cop was being an arrogant hothead when he arrested Professor Gates, and I don’t think that this sets a precedent. Had Professor Gates been perfectly civil and also been arrested, \*\*\*then \*\*\*I’d be worried. So you think that police officers should be able to arrest you because you piss them off? You’re pissing \*\*me \*\*off. Why can’t I get you arrested? > [@Ivorybill](#): > > I also have a friend who knew Skip Gates during the years that they were both on the faculty at Duke. He said, that knowing Skip Gates, he’d bet money that Sgt. Crowley’s report is the accurate one and that once again Professor Gates is trying to cover up his terrible temper. Who cares whether Gates blew up at the officer? Police are in a public service job–taking abuse comes with the territory. Yelling at a police officer might make you an asshole, but it doesn’t justify an arrest. > [@billfish678](#): > > Assuming that is true, I have no problem with someone being arrested after ignoring a SECOND warning to either calm down or STFU outside of their house. So if you think you’ve got a justifiable complaint, and you haven’t heard the officer identify themself, you should just shut up and take it? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/154 "2009-07-28T15:36:58Z")
It looks like Obama, Prof Gates and the arresting officer will have a little powwow at the White House…with some beer! I want to drink a beer in the White House with the President! Hell, I want to drink 12 beers there, smoke a cigar, eat peanuts and crash on the couch! Link: [Obama to meet Thursday with professor, officer - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/27/gates.harvard.obama/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/155 "2009-07-28T15:37:19Z")
> [@](#): > > “As always, whitey now sits in judgment of me, preparing to cast my fate. It is your decision either to let me blow with the wind as a nonentity or to encourage the development of self. Allow me to prove myself.” From Gates’ application to Yale. (He got in; apparently “whitey” was in a charitable mood.) I love that Gates has the nerve to accuse anybody of racial profiling. I have lost serious respect for him over this- not for being p.o.d over the police but for his inability to say “I overreacted as well”; he owes Crowley an apology as much as Crowley owes him one. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/156 "2009-07-28T15:41:51Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > From Gates’ application to Yale. (He got in; apparently “whitey” was in a charitable mood.) > > I love that Gates has the nerve to accuse anybody of racial profiling. I have lost serious respect for him over this- not for being p.o.d over the police but for his inability to say “I overreacted as well”; he owes Crowley an apology as much as Crowley owes him one. I agree, and quite frankly, that was the only reason he got arrested in the first place. Not that he should have been arrested, mind, but this reeks to me that he acted like a complete racist asshole to the officer. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/157 "2009-07-28T16:33:32Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > It looks like Obama, Prof Gates and the arresting officer will have a little powwow at the White House…with some beer! President Obama had damn well better make a personal hospital visit to the next person to get the shit beat out of them for the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their religion, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/158 "2009-07-28T17:13:13Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > President Obama had damn well better make a personal hospital visit to the next person to get the shit beat out of them for the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, their religion, etc. Maybe he will if they capture the nation’s attention for a week and the incident generates the degree of interest and widespread discussion that this one has. Otherwise, pray tell, why had he “damn well better” do that? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/159 "2009-07-28T17:19:03Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Maybe he will if they capture the nation’s attention for a week and the incident generates the degree of interest and widespread discussion that this one has. Otherwise, pray tell, why had he “damn well better” do that? Interest or not, does anyone really think the President’s time is best spent mediating between a grumpy lecturer and a grumpy small-town cop? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709/160 "2009-07-28T17:30:08Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Interest or not, does anyone really think the President’s time is best spent mediating between a grumpy lecturer and a grumpy small-town cop? Best spent? Not the most helpful way to look at it, in my opinion. Reasonably spent? I would say yes, given the longstanding and pervasive undercurrent of racial tension in the U.S., and the not too farfetched possibility that presidential leadership in addressing the issue may contribute to genuine progress in improving the situation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/professor-skip-gates-arrested-in-front-of-his-own-home-claims-racism-from-cambridge-police/503709.md?page=9)