From the "Black People Arrest Themselves" files

[Caliga]

That's what happens when your teleprompter dies before its time. 

[Berkut]

Did Crowley know what was going on? For all he knows the guy has an ccomplice inside - there were two suspects reported on the call. For all he knows there is someone else in the house, and the old crazy guy going off about racism has no idea.

That an interesting theory -- except that the officer never bothered to look around to see if anyone else was present.  If there was sufficient exigent circumstances to enter in the first place, it would also be sufficient to do that.

You sure like second guessing what the police officer did - are you an expert on police procedure when responding to reported burglaries or something?

The officer didn't "Look around" because by the time he could have "looked around" Professor Race-Baiting had already established that he was the home owner and rather clearly wanted him to leave. At that point, is this exigent circumstance still warranting the officer to go stomping through his house while he screams about being oppressed?

[The Minsky Moment]

You sure like second guessing what the police officer did

No on the contrary I am simply pointing out that this ex post explanation of his conduct is inconsistent with what he actually did.

The officer didn't "Look around" because by the time he could have "looked around" Professor Race-Baiting had already established that he was the home owner and rather clearly wanted him to leave.

Except that the police report claims otherwise - it claims that Gates initially refused to provide ID and that the officer couldn't verify he was the homeowner.  But he made no attempt to determine whether they was someone else dangerous in the house at that time.

[Berkut]

You sure like second guessing what the police officer did

No on the contrary I am simply pointing out that this ex post explanation of his conduct is inconsistent with what he actually did.

The officer didn't "Look around" because by the time he could have "looked around" Professor Race-Baiting had already established that he was the home owner and rather clearly wanted him to leave.

Except that the police report claims otherwise - it claims that Gates initially refused to provide ID and that the officer couldn't verify he was the homeowner.  But he made no attempt to determine whether they was someone else dangerous in the house at that time.

Yes he did, he followed Gates in. That seems like a rather reasonable thing to do. Are you saying that since he, alone, did not immediately do a full search of the entire house (once again leaving Gates alone while he did so), then in fact he could not have been concerned that there was someone else in the house?

He asked for ID, Gates initially refused, then went into the house, and the officer followed him. How does that not follow? Seems rather simple to me. I think you are deconstructing his actions because you MUST find some reason to support your conclusion that he is some kind of secret closet racist, but his actions make perfect sense and his explanation certainly works fine - in fact, it isn't even really necessary, since his actions alone make perfect sense, and I suspect follow normal procedure for a case like this.

He doesn't KNOW there is someone in the house - in fact, he doesn't know much of anything other than there was a reported break in involving two people, and the guy who answered the door is acting erratically and is refusing to cooperate. So he followed him into the house to keep an eye on him.

How does that not match his explanation, or indicate that he is a racist? Are you claiming that if Gates was white, he would have let him out of his site?

[Fate]

The racist in this story is Gates.

Crowley was investigating a burglary in progress called-in by a known witness, at a house that had recently been burglarized. Gates should have simply identified himself, explained that he was the person forcing the door and thanked the officer for looking out for his property.

But Gates could not do that because he is a racist, cop-hating polemicist. His entire professional career is based on propagating the argument that white people oppress blacks. Gates and Obama both owe Crowley an apology.

This doesn't even fit a racial profiling scenario. This wasn't some cop exercising prejudicial discretion to stop a black man for no reason. Crowley was professionally investigating a possible crime in progress.

Obama's immediate and complete repudiation of Crowley is an indication of his own latent racist feelings about white people in general and the activities of cops in particular. Obama is not a post-racial healer; his comments exposed his loyalties. He is a cohort of Jeramiah Wright, Charles Ogletree, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and other divisive, race obsessed, elitist intellectuals.

[Caliga]

OMG is Sgt. Leon: RACISS AGAINST HISSELF 

Black officer at scholar's home supports arrest
By BOB SALSBERG (AP) – 28 minutes ago

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A black police officer who was at Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s home when the black Harvard scholar was arrested says he fully supports how his white fellow officer handled the situation.

Sgt. Leon Lashley says Gates was probably tired and surprised when Sgt. James Crowley demanded identification from him as officers investigated a report of a burglary. Lashley says Gates' reaction to Crowley was "a little bit stranger than it should have been."

Asked if Gates should have been arrested, Lashley said supported Crowley "100 percent."

Gates has said he was the victim of racial profiling.

President Barack Obama says the officers "acted stupidly." Lashley called Obama's remark "unfortunate" and said he should be allowed to take it back.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — A multiracial group of police officers on Friday stood with the white officer who arrested a prominent black Harvard scholar and asked President Barack Obama and Gov. Deval Patrick to apologize for comments the union leaders called insulting.

Obama said Wednesday that Cambridge police "acted stupidly" during the disorderly conduct arrest of his friend, Henry Louis Gates Jr., in his own home near Harvard University. Gov. Deval Patrick said Gates' arrest was "every black man's nightmare."

Dennis O'Connor, president of the Cambridge Police Superior Officers Association, said Obama's remarks were "misdirected" and the Cambridge police "deeply resent the implication" that race was a factor in the arrest.

"President Obama said the actions of the CPD were stupid and linked the event to the history of racial profiling in America," O'Connor said. "The facts of the case suggested that the president used the right adjective but directed it to the wrong party."

Officers responded to Gates' home on July 16 after a woman called 911 and said she saw two black men with backpacks trying to force open the front door. The woman, Lucia Whalen, has not responded to repeated attempts for comment.

Gates has said he returned from an overseas trip, found the door jammed, and that he and his driver attempted to force it open. Gates went through the back door and was inside the house on the phone with the property's management company when police arrived.

Police said he flew into a verbal rage after Sgt. James Crowley, who is white, asked him to show identification to prove he should be in the home. Police say Gates accused Crowley of racial bias, refused to calm down and was arrested. The charge was dropped Tuesday, but Gates has demanded an apology, calling his arrest a case of racial profiling.

Gates, 58, maintains he turned over identification when asked to do so by the police. He said Crowley arrested him after the professor followed him to the porch, repeatedly demanding the sergeant's name and badge number because he was unhappy over his treatment.

Crowley has refused to apologize, saying he followed protocol.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Berkut]

Gates, 58, maintains he turned over identification when asked to do so by the police. He said Crowley arrested him after the professor followed him to the porch, repeatedly demanding the sergeant's name and badge number because he was unhappy over his treatment.

Still want to know what treatment he received that indicated racism and justified his unhappiness.

JR? Come on, surely you have something?

[Faeelin]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0723092gates1.html

Incident report.

[CountDeMoney]

OMG is Sgt. Leon: RACISS AGAINST HISSELF 

Black officer at scholar's home supports arrest
By BOB SALSBERG (AP) – 28 minutes ago

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A black police officer who was at Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s home when the black Harvard scholar was arrested says he fully supports how his white fellow officer handled the situation.

Sgt. Leon Lashley says Gates was probably tired and surprised when Sgt. James Crowley demanded identification from him as officers investigated a report of a burglary. Lashley says Gates' reaction to Crowley was "a little bit stranger than it should have been."

Asked if Gates should have been arrested, Lashley said supported Crowley "100 percent."

An obvious self-loathing Uncle Tom, and therefore unqualified to comment on the events he witnessed.

[CountDeMoney]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0723092gates1.html

Incident report.

Obviously all lies, because JR says so.

[grumbler]

How many B&Es are committed by 60 year men who need a cane to walk? 

Dunno.  Unless the answer is "zero" with no possibility of it ever changing, though, it does not matter.

I am kinda surprised by your wide-eyed credulity in this case, JR.  You are making silly arguments to dismiss even the possibility that the cop was in the right.  Any chance you have a horse in this race?

[Caliga]

There is nothing new in the police report aside from a corroborating statement from a witness (who happened to be the person who called in to report the incident).  However, if we assume the witness and the other cops all back Officer Crowley up, which appears to be the case, it does make Gates look EXTREMELY bad, as he specifically denied that he said some of the things in the report, such as calling the officer a racist.

[grumbler]

Except that the police report claims otherwise ... he made no attempt to determine whether they was someone else dangerous in the house at that time.

Can you cite me the line where the officer states that he made (or gates says the officer made)  no attempt to determine whether there was someone else dangerous in the house at the time, or is this just something you are making up?

Oh, and make sure you go on ignoring the cop's testemony that he asked about this, because it would interfere with your argument.

[Maximus]

I'm not going to read this entire thread because it's probably the usual dick pulling conest with pages of broken-up quotes.

But, I watched a number of videos of Gates in Africa for one of my classes and I'm not the least bit surprised by all this.

[Malthus]

There is nothing new in the police report aside from a corroborating statement from a witness (who happened to be the person who called in to report the incident).  However, if we assume the witness and the other cops all back Officer Crowley up, which appears to be the case, it does make Gates look EXTREMELY bad, as he specifically denied that he said some of the things in the report, such as calling the officer a racist.

My guess is that it went down more or less exactly as the cop said it went down, and Gates is lying; moreover, that the various sources of evidence (911 tapes, other witnesses, etc.) will all tend to prove this.

However, (and this is the big "however"), I still doubt that, strictly speaking, being a lying, yelling, race-card-playing, upper middle class asshole who attempts to intimidate the cops with his 'you don't know what a big man I am' routine -- justifies his arrest.

That being said, he could still lose big in the arena of public opinion if he's seen to be acting the jerk (and demanding apologies for it), and it won't do his friend Obama any good either.