The Signifying Douchebag? [Henry Gates arrest - racism?]

[lisacurl]

@magellan01

Did you read the police report? I don’t get that the cop was being a dick AT ALL. It seems that the cop was completely in the right. I’m curious to see what we hear from the other cops and the Harvard security people that showed up before Gates was arrested.

The police report that the arresting officer wrote? And the police officers who will have to work with him in future and have nothing to gain and everything to lose from saying, Yeah, he could have calmed down and walked away?

@magellan01

Maybe if Gates had given him his driver’s license, that would have cleaner proof.

Maybe an older man who walks with a cane who is brought to his home who lives presumably on or near the campus of Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. doesn’t have a driver’s license.

@furt

They don’t merit asskissing, but neither should they be expected to take showers of abuse without blinking. They’re citizens, too.

They are police officers. Being able to withstand stress is their goddam job. If they can’t handle an old man with a cane screaming at them because he’s upset they came into his house and he thinks he’s being discriminated against without putting the man in handcuffs and carting him off downtown, then god help us.

The cops acted stupidly, and typically.

[sachertorte]

It was a pissing contest and the Cop pretty much admits as such. Now, I’m reading a bit between the lines, but despite the cop’s assertion that all Gates had to do was calm down after several warnings, the Cop neglects to explain why he didn’t just leave.

“He was cautioned in the house, meaning calm down, lower your voice,” Crowley said. “Once we got outside in front of the general public and the police officers that were assembled there, two warnings, the second warning with me holding a set of handcuffs in my hand. It was something I really didn’t want to do, but the professor at any point in time could have resolved the issue by quieting down and/or going back in his house.”

No. The cop wanted to assert his authority. That Gates wasn’t going to tuck his tail and sulk back into his house is why he got arrested. The cop doesn’t even consider himself leaving to be the correct resolution. To him, several warnings is several times Gates failed to obey the cop. To me, several warnings is several times the Cop failed to fucking leave the guy alone and leave the scene.

Someone had to back down, both refused to do so. The guy with the stick should have been the bigger man and just leave.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/cambridge_sgt_d.html

[sachertorte]

@lisacurl

Maybe an older man who walks with a cane who is brought to his home who lives presumably on or near the campus of Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. doesn’t have a driver’s license.

nitpick: Well, he did just return from China, so presumably he has a passport; at the ready even.

[lisacurl]

@sachertorte

nitpick: Well, he did just return from China, so presumably he has a passport; at the ready even.

nitpick x2 - maybe packed in his bags somewhere?

(I could do this all day! )

[sachertorte]

@lisacurl

nitpick x2 - maybe packed in his bags somewhere?

(I could do this all day! )

Me Too!
It’s kind of hard to get through immigration with your passport in your bag.

[FinnAgain]

I was taught, from a young age, by my white, hippie-radical, public defender parents that if ever you are dealing with a police officer, even if you think he’s in the wrong or if he’s acting rudely, that you respond with “yes sir” and “no sir” and if a complaint has to be filed, you do so afterward once you’re calm. You do not, under any circumstances, cause problems for the police officer in question, not the least of which because being rude enough to a police officer can actually be a crime of one sort or another depending on the circumstances. Also, that police officers have tremendous amount of latitude in how they carry out their jobs and it is well within their power to cause you a considerable amount of hassle if they see fit.

That a Harvard professor who deals with race relations would be ignorant of this fundamental dynamic beggars the imagination. That he was tired, frustrated and was thinking that his (extremely) minor academic ‘celebrity’ would translate beyond the walls of the ivory tower (and protect him from the aggravation of mere non professorial peons)? And that he then chose a possibly career-ending insult to sling at the police officer… seems to be in accord with the facts of the matter.

While the officer shouldn’t have arrested him, for the PR implication alone, I’m left wondering what someone supposedly as bright as Gates thought would happen. “Don’t give the cops a reason to hassle you” is not exactly on the level of quantum math. The officer was pissed off at having some guy cop and attitude and sling truly obscene slurs at him and decided to haul the schmuck in for whatever charge he thought might stick. And yes, in cases where it it isn’t true, the charge of racism is about the most obscene accusation that can be leveled at a professional who can lose their job over the mere perception of racism. It’s like accusing a teacher of being a child molester. The accusation itself, regardless of veracity, has a habit of being repeated, believed, and can be absolutely devastating on both a personal and professional level.

Neither of the people involved should have let it get to that level but my sympathies do not lie with an academician who was too dense to know that going out of his way to piss off a police officer might just not be a good idea. I do not believe that is a police officer’s job, as has been stated in this thread, to take whatever abuse is dished out and smile. It’s great when they can do that, and it does speak to a higher degree of professionalism, but in a society where it’s quite possible that one is in violation of any number of minor laws/statutes/whatever, causing a police officer to get annoyed enough that they start looking for them is simply, stupid.

It is also weird how race has played a role in this story. Well, granted it’s been a slow news week, but still…
For many non-minority folks, the story would be something along the lines of “idiot spouts off at cops, gets arrested, released almost immediately.” But because the race card is in play, the basic assumption that a citizen should cooperate politely with the police even when their requests aren’t totally reasonable is absent. And then officer now has to prove a negative and he’s a convicted racist in the court of public appeal. Blargh.

[Rubystreak]

@furt

ISTM the cop is leaving when he walks outside the house.

Continuing to engage in conversation =/= leaving.

“I’m not willing to believe” is an interesting way to put it. I don’t doubt that Gates felt a bit transgressed just by having a cop come to his door and ask for ID; I would. But that doesn’t exempt him from the obligation to act civilly.

This is irrelevant. Being uncivil in your own house is not illegal. Also, being civil isn’t an obligation, it’s just a really good idea.

But that’s just the point – at some times and places, they ARE. If you and I are having a conversation in the park, and I get upset and start screaming insults at you, to the point that passerby are disturbed and alarmed, it is entirely possible that law enforcement will get involved, and even that I could be prosecuted for it.

It’s rather different if the police officer, who could have left instead of continuing to engage an angry old man, instead takes action based on his legal authority. A legal authority that he overstepped, as indicated by the charges being dropped.

Maybe there’s no point in further discussion, since I find it unlikely that anyone is going to convince me that the officer couldn’t have just walked away after seeing ID. No warnings, no “we need to continue this outside,” no further discussion. In 6 pages of this, I haven’t seen a single convincing argument as to why he couldn’t have done that.

Also, from the Boston.com article, this struck me as funny:

“God knows the public is supporting you,” one of the hosts said. “Maybe not the elites, maybe not the president of the United States, but the reaction on message boards, the reaction on talk shows, and just people on the street – they are on your side, officer, you can be sure of that.”

Uh, I guess they don’t read the SDMB, eh?

[Magiver]

The situation, as I see it, is that more information will come to light over this as there were many withnesses to the event.

Starting with the officer who arrived next:

Whalen Lucia
**
On July 16, 2006 at approximately 12:44 PM, I Officer Figueroa#509 responded to an ECC broadcast for a possible break at __ Ware St. When I arrived, I stepped into the residence and Sgt. Crowley had already entered and was speaking to a black male.
As I stepped in, I heard Sgt. Crowley ask for the gentleman’s information which he stated “NO I WILL NOT!”. The gentleman was shouting out to the Sgt. That the Sgt… was a racist and yelled that “THIS IW WHAT HAPPENS TO BLACK MEN IN AMERICA!” As the Sgt. Was trying to calm the gentleman, the gentleman shouted “You don’t know who your messing with!”
I stepped out to gather the information from the reporting person, WHALEN, JUCIA, Ms. Whalen stated to me that she saw a man wedging his shoulder into the front door as to pry the door open. As I returned to the residence, a group of onlookers were now on scene. The Sgt., along with the gentleman, were now on the porch of __ Ware St. and again he was shouting, now to the onlookers (about seven),”THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO BLACK MEN IN AMERICA”! The gentleman refused to listen to as to why the Cambridge Police were there.
While on the porch, the gentleman refused to be cooperative and continued shouting that the Sgt. Is racist police officer.**

This cooberates the arresting officers contention that Gates was uncooperative from the beginning due to his racial tirade. There will certainly be reports from the other officers and the neighbors who witnessed the event.

According to the arresting officer’s statement, Gates’ front door was damaged from a previous break in. In a neighborhood like that, it is likely that his neighbors were aware of this event and would be extra vigilant on his behalf (and theirs). That an esteemed Harvard professor couldn’t comprehend that makes his behavior even harder to justify. It’s starting to look more and more like his life long study of all things African American has colored his view of the modern world beyond his ability to reason. His experiences in the 60’s as a black child, even the very disability for which he needs a cane, have scarred him in a way that prevents self control in what should be an obvious situation.

[Magiver]

The officer quoted above should be Carlos Figueroa if a moderator wants to change it.

[Rubystreak]

@Magiver

Starting with the officer who arrived next:

Another question: why did Officer Crowley need to call in a bunch of other officers? He was the first responder, he found out pretty fast that Gates was the homeowner, and yet… he needed reinforcements? How is that not unnecessary escalation?

[spifflog]

Two things continue to jump out at me as I finish this thread.

I get the impression that many think the cop was out of line asking for some ID. Is this what is supposed to happen?

Cop: “There’s been a report of a break in here. Can I see some ID?”
Unknown man: “No.”
Cop: “Well, Ok then. Have a nice day.”
Later . . .
Local News: “So you responded to home, after a neighbor reported seeing two man force their way into the home?”

Cop: “Yes”

Local News: “Did you identify them?”

Cop: “No. I asked them for some ID, but they said no. They were black men, so I didn’t want to offend their racial sensibilities, so I just helped them load the TV, computer and art work into the unmarked van and wished them well.”

Local News: “Well, that was completely incompetent police work, but thank God you’re not a racist!”

The second is that we as a society increasingly believe that public servants, from cops to bus drivers are verbal punching bags, and it’s their duty or part of their job description to take just about any amount of crap we want to heap on them. We pay a price for this. And I wonder if this arrest isn’t part of that price.

[Magiver]

@Rubystreak

Another question: why did Officer Crowley need to call in a bunch of other officers? He was the first responder, he found out pretty fast that Gates was the homeowner, and yet… he needed reinforcements? How is that not unnecessary escalation?

Escalation? What the hell are you talking about? There was a call about a possible burglary IN PROGRESS. I’ve seen 5 police cars respond to a similar call followed by additional cars if they are searching the neighborhood.

Once the first officer discovered the uncooperative owner was a Harvard Professor he called the Harvard police.

[Rubystreak]

@Magiver

Escalation? What the hell are you talking about? There was a call about a possible burglary IN PROGRESS. I’ve seen 5 police cars respond to a similar call followed by additional cars if they are searching the neighborhood.

Once the first officer discovered the uncooperative owner was a Harvard Professor he called the Harvard police.

What the hell am I talking about? He didn’t need to call in more police to deal with an old man with a cane in his own house. You can use all the RED WORDS you want, but calling the Harvard police, after seeing Gates’ Harvard ID, was not necessary. Just say thanks and leave. If I were in that situation, in my own house, and after showing ID, the cop insisted on calling more cops, I’d be pissed off, and I bet you would be too.

[mlees]

@Rubystreak

What the hell am I talking about? He didn’t need to call in more police to deal with an old man with a cane in his own house. You can use all the RED WORDS you want, but calling the Harvard police, after seeing Gates’ Harvard ID, was not necessary. Just say thanks and leave. If I were in that situation, in my own house, and after showing ID, the cop insisted on calling more cops, I’d be pissed off, and I bet you would be too.

Dualling threads:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=525555&page=3

@mlees in post 126

What, his Harvard ID? I don’t know what those look like, and it’s possible the cop didn’t, either. That’s why he called the Harvard Campus Police, right?

The Harvard ID doesn’t have a home address on it, does it? If it didn’t, it doesn’t provide proof of ownership of the building they were standing in. That info will have to come from another source.

(Once Prof. Gates shows his driver’s license, the cop should have left. The arrest was unsupportable, it seems like.)

[Magiver]

@Rubystreak

What the hell am I talking about? He didn’t need to call in more police to deal with an old man with a cane in his own house. You can use all the RED WORDS you want, but calling the Harvard police, after seeing Gates’ Harvard ID, was not necessary. Just say thanks and leave. If I were in that situation, in my own house, and after showing ID, the cop insisted on calling more cops, I’d be pissed off, and I bet you would be too.

Gates was pissed off from the start. He made assumptions that were not warranted and by all accounts never regained his composure. The officer, after being confronted with an uncooperative suspect claiming to be from Harvard, called the Harvard police (note the property was maintained by Harvard). Sounds like a level headed thing to do. He wasn’t the person screaming racial bullshit, it was Gates. The person being a racist was Gates. The person who owes everybody an apology is Gates.

[Rubystreak]

@mlees

Dualling threads:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=525555&page=3

Once you have the man’s name, how hard is it to find out if he owns the house? Also, he claims he showed more than just a Harvard ID.

Anyway, I can’t believe that, upon actually laying eyes on the older man with the cane, on the phone, with his bags, his keys, having turned off the alarm system, etc., that there was any reason to prolong this incident or involve other cops. Arguing otherwise seems deliberately obtuse to me. The cop just did not use his head. I’m not saying Gates is a saint who behaved well or anything, but the cop’s behavior was ridiculous.

[mlees]

@Rubystreak

Once you have the man’s name, how hard is it to find out if he owns the house? Also, he claims he showed more than just a Harvard ID.

I have heard differing accounts of what was supplied, and when. My only point was that the Harvard ID, alone, isn’t enough to establish that Prof. Gates belongs there. It may take a search of whatever records the radio dispatch has access to, especially if Prof. Gates was not handing over anything other than his Harvard ID. (Saying “Don’t you know who I am??”, no doubt. )

@Rubystreak

Anyway, I can’t believe that, upon actually laying eyes on the older man with the cane, on the phone, with his bags, his keys, having turned off the alarm system, etc., that there was any reason to prolong this incident or involve other cops. Arguing otherwise seems deliberately obtuse to me. The cop just did not use his head. I’m not saying Gates is a saint who behaved well or anything, but the cop’s behavior was ridiculous.

I am not sure what exactly happened in what order, but it appears Gates was not cooperative from the git-go. I don’t recall even Gates saying he was meek and mild mannered at the start. (Alarm system? Your post was the first I saw that mentioned.) But anyway, there are plenty of weak and helpless looking folks who do dumb things. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Cops get hurt by underestimating people.

Once ID and ownership was established, the cop should have departed. It appears he allowed himself to be irritated to the point of wrongfully applying his authority. For that, he will be retrained, disciplined, or fired. (Although, don’t hold out for a firing. Maybe his Union might try to protect him there.)

[Rubystreak]

@mlees

(Alarm system? Your post was the first I saw that mentioned.)

@Boston Globe

Gates walked around to the back door, unlocked it, shut off the alarm system, and tried to open the door from the inside.

All the more reason for the cop to back off ASAP, right?

[Magiver]

@Rubystreak

Once you have the man’s name, how hard is it to find out if he owns the house?

Easy, you look at his license.

@Rubystreak

Anyway, I can’t believe that, upon actually laying eyes on the older man with the cane, on the phone, with his bags, his keys, having turned off the alarm system, etc., that there was any reason to prolong this incident or involve other cops.

The other cops were Harvard police. It was Harvard property involving a Harvard Professor. It’s just common sense that they be called in when someone isn’t cooperating. The arresting officer’s feeling was that he was who he said he was but it’s his job to confirm the information.

@Rubystreak

Arguing otherwise seems deliberately obtuse to me.

Exactly, that’s why all the racist bullshit from Gates as well as his lack of cooperation, is stupid. His response to good service from the police department was to shit on them.

[mlees]

@Rubystreak

All the more reason for the cop to back off ASAP, right?

No. Turning off the alarm appears to have occured before the cop showed up. In other words, the cop didn’t see that, and may not realise that there was an alarm present. (No sticker in window, maybe.)