From the police report:
On Thursday July 16, 2009, Henry Gates, Jr. was placed under arrest after being observed exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior, in a public place, directed at a uniformed police officer who was present investigating a report of a crime in progress. These actions on the behalf of Gates served no legitimate purpose and caused citizens passing by this location to stop and take notice while appearing surprised and alarmed.
On Thursday July 16, 2009, Henry Gates, Jr. was placed under arrest after being observed exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior, in a public place, directed at a uniformed police officer who was present investigating a report of a crime in progress. These actions on the behalf of Gates served no legitimate purpose and caused citizens passing by this location to stop and take notice while appearing surprised and alarmed.
I thought Fred was trying to pull a fast one when he told me that Henry Louis Gates, Jr. had been arrested in Cambridge last week. A more perfectly framed story could not have been invented. It sounds like something that could easily have been a stunt from Punk'd. Ashton Kutcher and Henry Louis Gates -- a natural pairing.
I mean, really. After I laughed myself silly, I felt like crying. Pithy things kept rolling across my digital mental marquee: only in America, stranger than fiction and other such insights. If Professor Gates is not the preeminent scholar of African American Studies in the United States, as director of Harvard's WEB Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, he is on a very short list.
Of all people to racially profile, on his own turf, in his own home (which no doubt visually testified his identity), a home situated in his own community of scholars.
I'm betting he doesn't feel so much at home these days, and is probably redefining the term at its most basic application.
He has asked for an apology from Sgt. James Crowley, the officer being labeled the author of the incident. Sgt. Crowley might be at the epicenter of what happened, but -- scarily -- from out of the woodwork crawl the creepy people who will always, always be involved, but never named or held responsible. People such as Tom, who left the following comment on the matter over at The Root (where Gates serves as editor-in-chief):
I mean, really. After I laughed myself silly, I felt like crying. Pithy things kept rolling across my digital mental marquee: only in America, stranger than fiction and other such insights. If Professor Gates is not the preeminent scholar of African American Studies in the United States, as director of Harvard's WEB Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, he is on a very short list.
Of all people to racially profile, on his own turf, in his own home (which no doubt visually testified his identity), a home situated in his own community of scholars.
I'm betting he doesn't feel so much at home these days, and is probably redefining the term at its most basic application.
He has asked for an apology from Sgt. James Crowley, the officer being labeled the author of the incident. Sgt. Crowley might be at the epicenter of what happened, but -- scarily -- from out of the woodwork crawl the creepy people who will always, always be involved, but never named or held responsible. People such as Tom, who left the following comment on the matter over at The Root (where Gates serves as editor-in-chief):
Mr. Gate, if you are half the scholor you claim to be you should separate yourself from the J. Jackson's and Rev Sharpton's. These are the gentlemen that KNOW nothing about racism or the common good of the people, one is a cheat to his family the other is a fraud to the government. You as an educator of ALL should separate and rise above the standards of these gentlmen that try and ride your coat tails. You have been put in a bad situation, just like hundreds of thousands of other PEOPLE of all races and creeds. Learn from your mistakes and dont make a mochary of the situation, both are wrong, question is weather you are man enough to admit it publicly without making a mochary of it. Remember you are an Educator first, set the stand, don't creat a problem by getting the JJ's, Sharpton's involved. You should want to separate yourself from the level they claim to be at and are acutally on. Speak the truth and admit when you are at fault first and you will prosper longer than the others. Thank you Sir
[Please take the time to read the rest of the comments; It's scary.] Were I to elevate Sir Gentleman Please-'n-Thank-You Tom to the level of the serious (and I think, sadly, that we have to), I might start humming The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll, with emphasis on "*now* is the time for your tears." Overkill? what-ev-errr. I'm just sayin'. Sir Gentleman Please-'n-Thank-You Tom cannot, and should not, be ignored or discounted as an oddity.
Yesterday, the charge of disorderly conduct was dropped, and the impression given that the whole event was a casual misunderstanding. That speaks to me of Prof. Gates as a perhaps overly forgiving and polite individual but I'm sure that's not the end of it. This will be used as an object lesson by many, and probably for a long time.
Charles Ogletree, Professor Gates' attorney, issued the following statement:
On July 16, 2009, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 58, the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor of Harvard University, was headed from Logan airport to his home [in] Cambridge after spending a week in China, where he was filming his new PBS documentary entitled “Faces of America.” Professor Gates was driven to his home by a driver for a local car company. Professor Gates attempted to enter his front door, but the door was damaged. Professor Gates then entered his rear door with his key, turned off his alarm, and again attempted to open the front door. With the help of his driver they were able to force the front door open, and then the driver carried Professor Gates’ luggage into his home.
Professor Gates immediately called the Harvard Real Estate office to report the damage to his door and requested that it be repaired immediately. As he was talking to the Harvard Real Estate office on his portable phone in his house, he observed a uniformed officer on his front porch. When Professor Gates opened the door, the officer immediately asked him to step outside. Professor Gates remained inside his home and asked the officer why he was there. The officer indicated that he was responding to a 911 call about a breaking and entering in progress at this address. Professor Gates informed the officer that he lived there and was a faculty member at Harvard University. The officer then asked Professor Gates whether he could prove that he lived there and taught at Harvard. Professor Gates said that he could, and turned to walk into his kitchen, where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver’s license to the officer. Both include Professor Gates’ photograph, and the license includes his address.
Professor Gates then asked the police officer if he would give him his name and his badge number. He made this request several times. The officer did not produce any identification nor did he respond to Professor Gates’ request for this information. After an additional request by Professor Gates for the officer’s name and badge number, the officer then turned and left the kitchen of Professor Gates’ home without ever acknowledging who he was or if there were charges against Professor Gates. As Professor Gates followed the officer to his own front door, he was astonished to see several police officers gathered on his front porch. Professor Gates asked the officer’s colleagues for his name and badge number. As Professor Gates stepped onto his front porch, the officer who had been inside and who had examined his identification, said to him, “Thank you for accommodating my earlier request,” and then placed Professor Gates under arrest. He was handcuffed on his own front porch.
Professor Gates was taken to the Cambridge Police Station where he remained for approximately 4 hours before being released that evening. Professor Gates’ counsel has been cooperating with the Middlesex District Attorneys Office, and the City of Cambridge, and is hopeful that this matter will be resolved promptly. Professor Gates will not be making any other statements concerning this matter at this time.
Here is a link to the .pdf file of the police report* filed by Sgt. Crowley.
Charles Ogletree, Professor Gates' attorney, issued the following statement:
On July 16, 2009, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 58, the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor of Harvard University, was headed from Logan airport to his home [in] Cambridge after spending a week in China, where he was filming his new PBS documentary entitled “Faces of America.” Professor Gates was driven to his home by a driver for a local car company. Professor Gates attempted to enter his front door, but the door was damaged. Professor Gates then entered his rear door with his key, turned off his alarm, and again attempted to open the front door. With the help of his driver they were able to force the front door open, and then the driver carried Professor Gates’ luggage into his home.
Professor Gates immediately called the Harvard Real Estate office to report the damage to his door and requested that it be repaired immediately. As he was talking to the Harvard Real Estate office on his portable phone in his house, he observed a uniformed officer on his front porch. When Professor Gates opened the door, the officer immediately asked him to step outside. Professor Gates remained inside his home and asked the officer why he was there. The officer indicated that he was responding to a 911 call about a breaking and entering in progress at this address. Professor Gates informed the officer that he lived there and was a faculty member at Harvard University. The officer then asked Professor Gates whether he could prove that he lived there and taught at Harvard. Professor Gates said that he could, and turned to walk into his kitchen, where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver’s license to the officer. Both include Professor Gates’ photograph, and the license includes his address.
Professor Gates then asked the police officer if he would give him his name and his badge number. He made this request several times. The officer did not produce any identification nor did he respond to Professor Gates’ request for this information. After an additional request by Professor Gates for the officer’s name and badge number, the officer then turned and left the kitchen of Professor Gates’ home without ever acknowledging who he was or if there were charges against Professor Gates. As Professor Gates followed the officer to his own front door, he was astonished to see several police officers gathered on his front porch. Professor Gates asked the officer’s colleagues for his name and badge number. As Professor Gates stepped onto his front porch, the officer who had been inside and who had examined his identification, said to him, “Thank you for accommodating my earlier request,” and then placed Professor Gates under arrest. He was handcuffed on his own front porch.
Professor Gates was taken to the Cambridge Police Station where he remained for approximately 4 hours before being released that evening. Professor Gates’ counsel has been cooperating with the Middlesex District Attorneys Office, and the City of Cambridge, and is hopeful that this matter will be resolved promptly. Professor Gates will not be making any other statements concerning this matter at this time.
Here is a link to the .pdf file of the police report* filed by Sgt. Crowley.
*My favorite line from the police report? Upon being invited to exit his home and talk to Crowley on the porch, Gates is said to have replied: "Ya, I'll speak with your mama outside..."
Yes, indeed-y, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the original Mr. Priss, is going to make a "your Mama" joke, and in this circumstance, too.
Yes, indeed-y, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the original Mr. Priss, is going to make a "your Mama" joke, and in this circumstance, too.
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A terribly sad story came on the television as I sat here typing, safe in my home -- not in America, but secure in the insular Tête de Hergé.
A mother called for police assistance because her adult daughter was threatening to commit suicide. Unfortunately, the presence of the police proved more of an aggravation than anything else. The mother informed the police that her daughter hoped to force a "suicide by cop" situation. Just then, the daughter descended the stairs, gun in hand. The mother moved to shield her child.
Mom was shot to death. Daughter is in a bad way at the hospital. The police spent the night "investigating."
It's tough being a cop. It's tough relying on cops. It's just plain tough, these days.
A terribly sad story came on the television as I sat here typing, safe in my home -- not in America, but secure in the insular Tête de Hergé.
A mother called for police assistance because her adult daughter was threatening to commit suicide. Unfortunately, the presence of the police proved more of an aggravation than anything else. The mother informed the police that her daughter hoped to force a "suicide by cop" situation. Just then, the daughter descended the stairs, gun in hand. The mother moved to shield her child.
Mom was shot to death. Daughter is in a bad way at the hospital. The police spent the night "investigating."
It's tough being a cop. It's tough relying on cops. It's just plain tough, these days.
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