the perfect storm.
The black Doctor got tired of years of minor racist or possibly racists shit.
The police officer got tired of years of people getting on their “my rights are being violated” high horse when he is just trying to do his job.
I hope the cop gets some grief for this. I am also glad the Doctor got some inconvience out the tango as well.
It’s very pertinent to the issues in the case. Professor Gates lashed out from the get-go. He’s the one who decided to act the fool.
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.
You don’t think that essentially being called stupid by the President of the United States in front of the whole world isn’t grief?
No way of knowing, but this is my best guess as well.
He didn’t forget his damn key. The front door was messed up and he couldn’t open it. He went around to the other door, opened it with his key, and turned off the alarm. Then he and his driver pushed open the front door. This is what Lucia Whalen saw and thought was a B&E. Gates was on the phone with Harvard to tell them that the front door was damaged while he was in China when the cops arrived.
From the officer’s own police report, he told Gates to come onto the front porch to talk with him. When Gates did so, he was arrested for disturbing the peace. Had he ignored the officer’s request to go outside and simply shut the door in his face, that would be the end of that, but he did not. It is not accurate to characterize him as “following Sgt. Crowley as he was trying to leave.” He was not trying to leave. He was on the radio. This is all in the police report.
You don’t have to constitute a threat in order to have committed a crime. Sometimes, being a public nuisance is more than enough.
Direct quotes from the police report:
“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 of the residence.”
snip paragraph
“As I descended the stairs to the sidewalk, Gates continued to yell at me, accusing me of racial bias and continued to tell me that I had not heard the last of him.”
I think it’s accurate to say that Sgt. Crowley was in the process of leaving the residence when Professor Gates followed him outside. I agree that if Professor Gates had remained in his home and not followed Sgt. Crowley onto the porch that he would not have been arrested.
Yes, so you agree that Crowley told Gates to come outside, not that Gates was simply following Crowley for the purpose of harassment. Combine this with the fact that, according to Gates, Crowley did not give his name and badge number when asked repeatedly, and Crowley saying that he would not speak further with him unless he went out side, and it’s not so clear that Gates was following someone who was just trying to leave. Crowley could have just, you know, LEFT, too, without further conversation, warnings, etc., once he ascertained that Gates was the homeowner.
I most emphatically do not agree that Sgt. Crowley told Professor Gates to come outside.
Read again what Sgt. Crowley wrote:
“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 of the residence.”
Sgt. Crowley said he was leaving and gave Professor Gates the option of continuing the discussion outside. He did not direct Professor Gates to go outside. Presumably if Professor Gates had remained inside, Sgt. Crowley and the rest of the police would have gone away. Heck, Sgt. Crowley had even left the professor’s front porch.
Sheesh. What’s so difficult to understand about that?
He had other questions: your name and badge number, officer? IOW, if you want that information, you’ll have to come outside. No, he did not order him to go outside, not that he could. He withheld information that Gates needed to go outside to get. As soon as Gates went outside, he was arrested for doing exactly what he was doing inside. Hmmmm.
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. 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.
I brought up the police report because the officer admits in it that he told Gates to come outside if he wanted to continue the conversation. Now, let’s think critically about this: what more did they have to talk about? If the officer is telling the truth and he DID in fact give his name and badge number, and he had ascertained that Gates was the homeowner, why would the conversation, such as it was, need to continue at all?
Someone who wanted to de-escalate the situation would say, at that point, “Sorry to have disturbed you, sir. Have a nice day.” Then, regardless of what Gates was yelling, he turns around, and without further ado, leaves. Not, “If you want to continue this conversation, step outside [where I can arrest you for exactly what you are legally doing right now, inside the house.]”
It’s not accurate according to Crowley. It’s precisely what happened according to Gates. You can choose to believe Crowley, but that’s not an undisputed version of events.
I think it’s very clear what my beef is. I only brought up the police report to debunk your claim that Gates followed Crowley outside when he was trying to leave. That’s not what happened, by Crowley’s own admission. He invited Gates to come outside and keep talking, and he had no intention of leaving, as he was going outside to use his radio.
If you’re interested in comparing and contrasting Gates’ version of events with Crowley’s, here’s Gates’ version. There are several significant differences:
–Gates claims he was on the phone with Harvard security to report the broken door when the officer arrived. The officer claims Gates called someone to complain about him after he arrived.
–Gates says he provided both an MA drivers license and Harvard ID; Crowley says he only gave a Harvard ID.
–Gates claims the officer antagonized him and refused to give his name and badge number, and only then did he (Gates) lose his temper.
–Gates claims he was promptly arrested the moment he stepped out onto his porch.
These are some major discrepancies, and frankly, I don’t know which to believe, but I guarantee the truth is somewhere between both accounts. Bottom line, they both behaved badly, but arrest was wrongheaded IMO and that’s the greater wrong. YMMV.
I had a bunch of crap typed up but decided to delete it since I feel a whole lot like Andy Dufrene in Shawshank Redemption:
Andy Dufresne: How can you be so obtuse?
Warden Samuel Norton: What? What did you call me?
Andy Dufresne: Obtuse. Is it deliberate?
Right back atcha, champ, if that’s the best you can do.
I’ve read Professor Gates’ account. 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. YMMV as well.
Yeah, and other people who know Skip Gates say that Crowley acted stupidly. So, you can believe one side of it lock, stock, and barrel, and call anyone who disagrees with you obtuse, if that’s what makes you feel all right. My mileage definitely varies from that.
Please. You’re not convincing me, I’m not convincing you, the fora is IMHO and we’re sharing opinions. You’ve provided evidence that supports your take; I’ve provided evidence that supports mine. We disagree with each other. Is there anything more to type?
I don’t know, I’m not the one who dismissed your opinion by calling you obtuse. You’re right, there isn’t any more to type, if that’s your attitude towards the sharing of opinions when they differ from yours.
Last one for me. I didn’t dismiss your opinion by calling you obtuse. I said I felt like the character in a movie who could not persuade another character since my take of the police report seems to vary so much from yours. I could have calibrated those words differently. Good luck and good night.