Patterico's Pontifications

7/23/2009

Boston Herald: Allegedly Racist Officer in Gates Arrest Once Gave Mouth-to-Mouth to Black Basketball Star

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:20 am



Look what a racist we have in the cop who arrested Henry Louis Gates:

The Cambridge cop prominent Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. claims is a racist gave a dying Reggie Lewis mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in a desperate bid to save the Celtics [team stats] superstar’s life 16 years ago Monday.

“I wasn’t working on Reggie Lewis the basketball star. I wasn’t working on a black man. I was working on another human being,” Sgt. James Crowley, in an exclusive interview with the Herald, said of the forward’s fatal heart attack July 27, 1993, at age 27 during an off-season practice at Brandeis University, where Crowley was a campus police officer.

He killed a black man! Could there be a more stark example of racism? I bet if Lewis had been white, he would have really tried to save him.

Sgt. Crowley says he will absolutely never apologize to Gates. Although I think Sgt. Crowley appears to have gotten carried away when he made the arrest, I have every sympathy for him up until that point. When he was questioning Gates, he was simply trying to do his job, and was rewarded with a guy screaming that he was a racist. Now he has the president of the entire country suggesting that his legitimate actions in questioning Gates to begin with were an example of racial profiling. Articles sympathetic to the famous Harvard professor are appearing in the Washington Post, where the professor portrays this incident as emblematic of institutional racism in this country.

You know, Stacy Koon, one of the officers in the Rodney King case, once gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a black transvestite, when nobody else in his station would (for fear of contracting AIDS). He was branded a racist too, and was almost shot to death by a man blinded by the rage that he had developed watching incomplete and one-sided media accounts of that event.

The accusation of racism is very powerful, and is very casually tossed around nowadays. Kudos to the Boston Herald for putting out a story that contradicts the media narrative pushed by Gates, Obama, Al Sharpton, and others who seek to use this man to advance their agenda.

P.S. More from ABC:

Neighbors had a different story that tends to support the sergeant’s actions. One man who said he saw the incident said the police report that said Gates was belligerent was not completely off the mark.

Racist.

156 Responses to “Boston Herald: Allegedly Racist Officer in Gates Arrest Once Gave Mouth-to-Mouth to Black Basketball Star”

  1. I’m glad you posted this. President Obama should apologize (since he is so good at apologizing to dictators and despots) to the officer. Or at least say that he, the President, should have researched the facts of the case and the officer before commenting.

    LIke that is going to happen.

    Eric Blair (204104)

  2. the Fail is too many to link. I hope Barack starts his day today with Tang and Post Toasties cause of he got his work cut out for him.

    happyfeet (c75712)

  3. Eric: Did Obama accuse the department of racism? Or did he say the cops “acted stupidly” in arresting Gates? I did not hear him mention race.

    Myron (98529a)

  4. The officer is now branded a racist. Gates said so and Obama called him stupid. Nothing more to say.

    I feel sorry for the Officer, I really do, but it was beyond stupid to arrest Gates over this. Emotions got the best of him in dealing with an old cranky asshole like Gates.

    Joe (17aeff)

  5. Myron, why did the president say they acted stupidly ?

    “I don’t know – not having been there and not seeing all the facts – what role race played in that, but I think it’s fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two that he Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home,” Obama said in response to a question from the Chicago Sun-Times’s Lynn Sweet.

    Obama is the one who injected race into the story, just as he has since he was a community organizer and sat through Jeremiah Wright’s sermons for 20 years.

    Mike K (2cf494)

  6. Myron apparently quit lstening to Teh One where he said his bit about racial profiling.

    JD (4277eb)

  7. Myron’s comment/defense runs something like this in the ghetto ….

    “I’m sayin’, I’m juss not sayin'”

    HeavenSent (01a566)

  8. Well of course he did. Blacks are supposed to play basketball — not be university professors.

    David Ehrenstein (2550d9)

  9. The best part is that the question given to Obambi was a softball pitch and he still managed to whiff. Nobody gives a crap what the guy said about health care. Everybody is pretty shocked at how bad he slimed the Cambridge police.

    Somebody tell me how this guy is still considered eloquent.

    KingShamus (4fabb2)

  10. “I don’t know – not having been there and not seeing all the facts

    If he had just stopped there, it would have been fine. But the petty little narcissist had to pull an Alinsky on the officer and comment on something he has no business commenting on. Because, you know, he doesn’t have all the facts.

    Bush would have been creamed for blurting out this kind of presumptuous nonsense. Obama gets to trash an officer’s reputation based on nothing more than speculation.

    Another Chris (2d8013)

  11. Dear Teh One,

    When you feel compelled to preface your remarks with:

    …(N)ot having been there and not seeing all the facts…

    That is what is known in the real world as a clue that you should keep your ignorant mouth shut.

    MJN1957 (d1de05)

  12. “the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home,” he [Obamna] added.

    Um, anybody notice that this apple is different from that orange? Gates’ arrest HAD NOTHING TO DO with the fact that he indeed owned that house – he was arrested for being DISORDERLY.

    MrJimm (cb3046)

  13. This cop is a good man. He made a minor mistake in arresting a guy who was having a bad day. I see similar overreactions occasionally from TSA officers with cranky airline passengers.

    Racism, no. The facts coming out strongly support this was not racism. But instead of de-escalating this, Obama just dumped gasoline on this flare up.

    Joe (17aeff)

  14. Neighbors had a different story that tends to support the sergeant’s actions. One man who said he saw the incident said the police report that said Gates was belligerent was not completely off the mark.

    Hmm. Here’s what’s on the ABC site:

    One of Crowley’s neighbors supported the sergeant’s story, saying that the police report that said Gates was belligerent was not completely off the mark.

    Who cares what Crowley’s neighbor thinks about the incident. It didn’t happen at Crowley’s house, so how would he know? And “not completely off the mark” is hardly a confirmation.

    Also, did ABC change their story, or did Patterico change it for them?

    mantis (388803)

  15. If the original caller had stated two white men were trying to force their way into Gate’s home, would the officers have responded any differently? Not likely? The officers were in the lawful performance of their duty investigating this.

    Gates could have immediately defused the situation by showing his identification & explaining what had happened. Rather, Gates began race baiting which escalated the situation.

    Gates is a race baiter of the absolute worst kind. Then we have Obama insult not only the officer and his department but law enforcement as a whole. In my view, Obama is no better than Gates.

    If my department assigned me to stand on the stage for Obama at some dog and pony show, I would refuse. I hope other officers will do the same in protest.

    Someday, I hope Gates shoots off his mouth to the wrong person and gets his lights punched out.

    Tug Speedman (b2907a)

  16. What about a case for the Officer against Gates for Slander and defamation of character? Just a thought.

    Gates = Jackass.

    Read the police report, the Officer tried to de-escalate the situation by leaving the house and Gates followed him out of the house. The Officer warned him twice, twice and then when Gates continued to be belligerant he cuffed him.

    J. Raymond Wright (d83ab3)

  17. I find it very interesting that the same people who are opposed to “racial profiling” have no problem whatsoever “profiling” cops.

    Bubba Maximus (456175)

  18. John McWhorter on why the Gates arrest was racist and how his white conservative audience doesn’t like to hear him when he isn’t talking about the shortcomings of black culture. So what if Gates is arrogant (or should that be uppity?.) That isn’t a crime. There’s no crime here. The prosecutors see that clearly.

    Oh, and you might try to explain the Obama as Witch Doctor stuff in your essays on post-racial America.

    Andrew J. Lazarus (551f01)

  19. Obama was as wrong to conflate this with racial profiling as was the police Sergeant in arresting Gates. That said, the policemans understandable error came after a heated exchange, while Obama’s was grievance mongering demagoguery…

    If policemen came into my home demanding to see my ID, I would probably comply, and then ask them what the heck were they doing on my property and demand they leave immediately. And while I don’t believe that I would have flipped out like Gates did, the whole notion of having my “papers” demanded by the authorities in my home is a knee jerk scenario with me…

    Having said that, in light of the report they were investigating, I believe that this was an instance where asking for identification was not out of line. And, no matter how angry he was about the misunderstanding, Gates behaved badly by flipping out on the policemen; but they had no cause to arrest him, and indeed all charges have been dropped by the authorities…

    But it is a cheap political move by that good man Obama to equate Gates arrest with a case of racial profiling; a statement he should be pressured to retract…

    Bob (99fc1b)

  20. […] Michelle Malkin Patterico’s Pontifications, The Confluence, Riehl World View, Gateway Pundit, Flopping Aces, And So it Goes in […]

    Henry Gates-Gate Continued | Political Byline (e78bc3)

  21. Obama was absolutely right.
    He did not call the cop a racist.
    He did not say the cop was stupid.
    He said the cop ACTED stupidly – which even the OBama bashers here seem to acknowledge.

    How can one be disorderly, to the point of deserving arrest, in ones own home?
    Gates was arrested because the cop didnt like the way he spoke to him. That is totally illegitimate – its stupid behavior, at best.
    One is not obliged, in this country, to speak formally and respectfully in all instances to police officers – under penalty of arrest.

    We may need to know all the facts before deciding whether or not Gates or the cop deserve our sympathy or our criticism. But enough of the facts are undisputed to know that the cop acted stupidly.

    JoeCitizen (d2928e)

  22. That’s fine, JoeCitizen. But it does not make it racism.

    That’s the whole point.

    SPQR (5811e9)

  23. Joe, the guy wasn’t inside his house… he was annoying his neighbors, and it seems some of them agree.

    There is a limit to how disorderly you can be in the front yard.

    And Obama did, obviously insinuate that this cop was part of a racial profiling pattern. Did you see his comments? Obama was a real jerk, and clearly trying to win latino voters by smearing an innocent cop.

    The cop was only foolish insofar as he enforced the law against a powerful race bating democrat professor. If he had arrested someone who wasn’t a powerful democrat, this wouldn’t be a problem.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  24. McWhorter did not even read the police reports before he wrote his article. He did not address the specifics of the case at hand, so he certainly can’t offer any better perspective than Obama did. He actually said this:
    we cannot call people like Gates drama queens for treating the invasion of their privacy by the fuzz as a symptom of something larger and vocalizing accordingly.”

    Invading his privacy? Are you kidding me? Read the police reports. Gates told police that his front door did not secure properly due to a previous break-in attempt at his house. This man should have been thanking his neighbor for watching over his home, and he should have praised the police for responding so quickly and ensuring that his house was safe. What alternative did the police have when they responded to this call? What if they had arrived at the home, saw a black make through the foyer window, and simply left. What if the black male was not Gates, and what would he have said when he came home and found his home ransacked? He would have claimed that the police are racists, of course, for not protecting the home of a black man.

    There is racism on display, here, but it isn’t emanating from the Cambridge PD.

    CWC (a3e84f)

  25. Andrew, without even looking at your link, it’s pretty obvious that nothing about this arrest was racist in the slightest.

    The claim that this cop arrested the man needlessly for being a rude jerk is race neutral, and it’s the only valid criticism. There’s been absolutely no evidence whatsoever that race played any role in anything this officer did. The call alerting the police to the idiotic behavior of Gates noted a physical description of Gates, but that’s the only mention of race in the entire event aside from Gates screaming ‘racist’.

    Anyone calling this arrest racist is trying to destroy a cop to gain power by dividing America.

    Anytime a person does something bad to someone else of a different race, it’s racism?

    Juan (bd4b30)

  26. Listen to what Obama said:

    1. “I don’t know whether racism played a role in this instance.” What’s objectionable about that? Do any of us really know – how could we – whether the officer was motivated in part because of Gates’ race?

    2. “The officer acted stupidly by arresting Gates after he had established that Gates was the owner of the house.” Not to excuse Gates’ equally stupid behavior, but does anybody really think that Gates should have been arrested for yelling at the police officer? Shouldn’t the officer have simply backed down and left once Gates established he was the owner of the house? Not a major transgression on his part, but “stupidly” seems an appropriate description.

    3. Obama then segued into a general – and rather banal – discussion of racial profiling. He noted great progress has been made, but that there has been a history of racial profiling. Is there any reasonable dispute about the truth of that statement?

    I wish Obama had simply passed on the question, largely because it appears that Gates was responsible for escalating the situation. He could have said that Gates also acted “stupidly”, but his friendship with Gates made that impossible. It was a bit unfair to call the officer’s actions stupid without also noting Gates’ stupid actions. Maybe you can argue that the officer – by virtue of his power – should have a thicker skin.

    Anyways, this is a tempest in a teapot. In the end, it was an unfortunate incident in which Gates overreacted and – in response – the officer overreacted to Gates’ overreaction.

    mvatty (99d646)

  27. Obama knew more details about this police call than about his health-rationing plan.

    Jim Treacher (796deb)

  28. One of Crowley’s neighbors supported the sergeant’s story, saying that the police report that said Gates was belligerent was not completely off the mark.

    Who cares what Crowley’s neighbor thinks about the incident. It didn’t happen at Crowley’s house, so how would he know? And “not completely off the mark” is hardly a confirmation.

    Amongst the post-racial Leftist, mantis’ incoherent rambling passes as insightful thought.

    AJL – Thank you for that link. Though I disagree with the conclusions, I like him as a writer. Why do you and yours insist on trying to insert the term uppity into the discussion?

    JD (0f9c01)

  29. The only racist there was Gates, who would not have behaved in the aggressive hostile manner he did if Crowley were black. Gates obviously does not like white police officers doing their job.

    Ray (3c46ca)

  30. The facts so far show an officer probably too quick to arrest an obnoxious jerk.

    The article in this post doesn’t say much about whether the officer is racist. It says he probably wouldn’t take part in a lynching, but I doubt that’s most people’s standard. A better article would have just looked at the facts so far known and come to the obvious conclusion.

    tim maguire (4a98f0)

  31. By the way, Obama isn’t an asshole. He just acted assholey.

    Jim Treacher (796deb)

  32. Amongst the post-racial Leftist, mantis’ incoherent rambling passes as insightful thought.

    Just because you can’t understand plain English doesn’t mean it’s incoherent, it just means you’re stupid.

    Or do you think the cop’s neighbor is a reliable witness to the event, which happened elsewhere?

    mantis (388803)

  33. Barack Obama acted like a fascist dork. Now HE has teh power and the stupid white crackers is gonna pay!! Yawn. Probably he’s gonna get people killed but not me so mostly I’m less concerned than maybe I should be.

    happyfeet (71f55e)

  34. Boy, they sure got some smart teachers at Harvard. Imagine, a professor so quick on the uptake he could unmask a racist cop cynical enough to have given mouth-to-mouth to a black basketball player. I’ve never seen the like of it.

    Is there no limit to the sneaky tricks those racist white guys will use to hide their hatred of uppity blacks?

    Ropelight (bb3af5)

  35. RACISTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    JD (f303d4)

  36. mantis:

    the cop’s neighbor

    eh? really?

    quasimodo (4af144)

  37. quasimodo – SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Mantis is on a roll. Don’t tell him that the neighbor was Gate’s neighbor, and witnessed the incident. Teh Narrative would implode.

    tim maguire – Have you read the police report?

    JD (725e5a)

  38. I work with a bunch of people who drop no fewer than three F bombs in every sentence. They do it without even trying to think how to express themselves with another word.

    The cry of “Racist” is now in the same category. I am reminded of a video of a black politician shouting “racist” at other black officials. It is the only “weapon” at her disposal. It has worked so well so many times, she has nothing else. Same for Herr Doktor Gates.

    I put Obama’s comment at the same level I put the arrest – stupid.

    quasimodo (4af144)

  39. quasimodo – Kind of like Babs Boxer calling a black gentleman a racist?

    JD (06cd1d)

  40. PAtterico

    I reread the officers report and a coorborating officers report

    I did not find them self serving, but written rather tersely and plainly.

    If witnessess corroborate any part of these officers reports then the charges against Gates need to be upgraded to a more serious status.

    Also the officer needs to sue Gates Civilly for defamination.

    If ABC is backing off of it, then this is political dynamite.

    EricPWJohnson (a7d970)

  41. #1, Ah, but there you see, he was apologizing for America, not for himself. A narcissist never apologizes for themselves, that would be an admission of imperfection.

    So all Obama needs to do to prove that he is not a narcissist, is to do as you suggest.

    You’ll understand why I’m not going to hold my breath.

    LarryD (feb78b)

  42. Just because you can’t understand plain English doesn’t mean it’s incoherent, it just means you’re stupid.

    Quite a witty and devastating rejoinder there, Trollboy. What’s next on your agenda, calling JD a big poopy – pants? It never fails, post an article on anything relating to race and the grievance – mongers show up, right on cue.

    Dmac (e6d1c2)

  43. Look for the personal destruction to start. Like at the time Crowley held his prom date’s hand for too long.

    nk (989c26)

  44. Dmac – If mantis is showing up, frameone, O-Dub, and the folks from acesspoolous cannot be far behind. Maybe Joshua Chamberlain can come here and call us all stupid hicks, or Karl Steel can demand to be called a doctor. We already know what RichP would say.

    RACISTS !!!

    JD (b7c790)

  45. the cop’s neighbor

    eh? really?

    I see a few commenters have reading comprehension problems. Once again, here’s what the ABC story says:

    One of Crowley’s neighbors supported the sergeant’s account, saying that the police report that said Gates was “belligerent” was not completely off the mark.

    One of Crowley’s neighbors. Crowley is the cop. Now the quote from ABC appears differently in Patterico’s post, identifying the unnamed person as a neighbor and “one man who saw the incident.” My guess is that ABC identified the person incorrectly when the story was first posted, and then corrected it, but that’s why I asked in my first comment (#13, which you apparently didn’t bother to read or understand). If after understanding that the person who thought the police report was “not completely off the mark” was actually the cop’s neighbor, and not a witness (as ABC contends, now), you still think his opinion matters regarding the specifics of the incident, perhaps you could explain why.

    I for one would like to hear from one of the apparently many bystanders who at least witness what happened outside the house. So far I haven’t seen anything like that reported.

    mantis (28b676)

  46. Treacher wins “comment of the day”.

    SPQR (5811e9)

  47. I see a few commenters have reading comprehension problems.

    And also right on cue, the Trollbot 1000’s projections are duly noted.

    Dmac (e6d1c2)

  48. nk is sadly correct about what is going on this morning. They’ll destroy him if they can and bring his head to Barack Obama on a platter.

    happyfeet (71f55e)

  49. Neighbors had a different story that tends to support the sergeant’s actions. One man who said he saw the incident said the police report that said Gates was belligerent was not completely off the mark.

    You have not seen that, mantis, because you choose not to.

    JD (b7c790)

  50. If mantis is showing up, frameone, O-Dub, and the folks from acesspoolous cannot be far behind.

    Doubt it. I just noticed Patterico weighed in on Memeorandum, and thought it would be interesting to see his take, being a prosecutor and all.

    FWIW, I have seen nothing yet to suggest that Crowley is a racist.

    mantis (388803)

  51. You have not seen that, mantis, because you choose not to.

    Wow, you are dim, aren’t you? No, if the ABC report ever said that, it no longer does. Learn to read.

    mantis (388803)

  52. What’s interesting is that none of those neighbors, who I assume would be friends with Gates is Gates isn’t a weirdo, have stepped up to say that Gates wasn’t disturbing the peace.

    Interesting, that.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  53. Is mantis accusing Patterico of making up a quote?

    JD (b7c790)

  54. What’s interesting is that none of those neighbors, who I assume would be friends with Gates is Gates isn’t a weirdo, have stepped up to say that Gates wasn’t disturbing the peace.

    None of them have said anything (despite what looks to be ABC’s error), yet the police report says a crowd had gathered by the time they went outside. Curious indeed.

    mantis (388803)

  55. Is mantis accusing Patterico of making up a quote?

    No, I would say that explicitly if I were, and I have now repeatedly stated I believe it to be a mistake on ABC’s part (though I can’t know for sure – I never saw the piece with the quote Patterico posted). I find it unlikely Patterico would doctor the quote, but how do I know? If you Google the quote as Patterico has it, there’s only one hit. This page.

    mantis (388803)

  56. Sgt. Tom Fleming, director of the Lowell Police Academy, told ABC News that Crowley has been teaching a class to cops on racial profiling at the academy for the last five years.

    “Jim Crowley is what we call a squared away guy. He’s a really good role model for young cops and he was selected to teach this racial profiling class by the former police commissioner of Cambridge, Ron Watson, who is black,” Fleming said.

    Gates Yelling At Cops

    Police were called to Gates’ home near Harvard University last week after a woman reported seeing two “black men with backpacks” trying to force open the front door to Gates’ house. The police report said Gates, who was returning from a trip to China and found his front door jammed, at first refused to provide an ID and became unruly. He was charged with disorderly conduct but the charges were dropped this week.

    Law enforcement sources tell ABC News that the conversation between Gates and Crowley was transmitted over Crowley’s open police radio and Gates can be heard yelling.

    JD (3b62be)

  57. So, mantis admits that it is an obvious error in ABC’s story, yet still argues that none of the people that have seen this agreed with the cop’s version?

    Racists

    JD (72046a)

  58. He killed a black man! Could there be a more stark example of racism? I bet if Lewis had been white, he would have really tried to save him.

    I understand you’re joking, Patterico, and yet…

    The Boston Herald reported that Crowley is the same police officer who, 16 years ago, gave basketball player Reggie Lewis mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as the Celtics star suffered a fatal heart attack. The paper said many questioned at that time about whether Crowley did enough to save the black player in the aftermath of the incident.

    There is no winning, you see.

    sierra (dfb2fa)

  59. Good catch, Sierra. It is good to see the Officer, and the police force standing up for Officer Crowley.

    JD (f303d4)

  60. Sierra, my God that is sickening.

    Give a man mouth to mouth, which of course brings some minor risks, and you get accused of not doing enough to save his life?

    I didn’t recall that controversy, but I suspect it will be amplified greatly now, just because yet another innocent person has proven… accidentally, what a total jerk Obama is.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  61. So, mantis admits that it is an obvious error in ABC’s story, yet still argues that none of the people that have seen this agreed with the cop’s version?

    Don’t you get tired of displaying your stupidity? I said it is likely an ABC error, but I don’t know for sure. That’s not an admission that it is an obvious error.

    Secondly, the error, if there was one, has been corrected to reflect that the “not completely off the mark” quote was from one of Crowley’s neighbors, not one of Gates’ neighbors and not a witness to the incident. Therefore yes, none of the people who have seen this have agreed with the cop’s version, or any version, that I know of. Certainly not in the current ABC report.

    mantis (388803)

  62. Boy, JD, I hope that this is true:

    “…Law enforcement sources tell ABC News that the conversation between Gates and Crowley was transmitted over Crowley’s open police radio and Gates can be heard yelling…”

    If so, it will be leaked to YouTube pretty darned soon. As it should be.

    And if it is true, here we have Gates lying to support his own victimhood. If true.

    Remember that old SNL routine with Garrett Morris, describing a racist act on the basketball court—that did not look racist on close examination?

    This is the trouble with Gates seeing racism everywhere, but never criticizing his own actions.

    As I wrote originally, I doubt we are getting the whole story. But we will.

    No worries though. Even if Gates cussed out the police officer, it will be still be due to racism. You watch.

    Eric Blair (0b61b2)

  63. So who’s going to be the first to break the ice by calling this thing “Gates-gate”?

    sierra (dfb2fa)

  64. to reflect that the “not completely off the mark” quote was from one of Crowley’s neighbors, not one of Gates’ neighbors and not a witness to the incident.

    Complete hooey.

    JD (e0ced2)

  65. Very convincing argument, JD.

    mantis (4baed8)

  66. mantis, the guy clearly witnessed the incident. You’re making stuff up.

    And the sad thing is, you probably realize this won’t be in dispute at all for long, as many other people were there, photos were taken, etc, and no one has endorsed Gates’s completely absurd account… an account that falls apart instantly upon reading it.

    No one believes you because you’ve got no evidence. All you can do is pretend that all the evidence that does exist, doesn’t.

    Gates has devoted himself to the study of racism. The cop has devoted himself to protecting others, and sadly, some of the times he put himself in peril to defend black people have been used against him be race baiters.

    Hating public servants is OK for democrats if it makes Obama look better.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  67. I am not trying to convince you. I know from experience that Teh Narrative is very strong with you, and that you cannot be swayed. You are either accusing ABC of making up a quote, or Patterico, or suggesting that ABC interviewed someone that was a neighborof the officer for their take on the incident, which is fanciful. Occam’s Razor suggests that they made a mistake in identifying the neighbor originally, and that there was a witness to the incident which they have spoken to. Plus, there were pictures of that black racist cop at the scene as well. We can only hope that Officer Crowley has the audio tapes released.

    JD (1762b4)

  68. Kudos to Officer Crowley for not backing down from Teh One’s slime job last night. Gibbs tried one of his walk-backs today.

    JD (e0ced2)

  69. Here, BTW, is how Sports Illustrated (8/9/93) reported on Crowley’s treatment of Reggie Lewis:

    At 5:07 Lewis collapsed near the three-point line. Within minutes two Brandeis security personnel were at the scene, one of whom, James Crowley, was EMT certified. “His eyes were open, but he was clearly unconscious,” Crowley said of Lewis.

    Crowley, by coincidence, had been a security guard at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge when Donna had given birth to Reggie Jr. last year. Crowley had ridden in the hospital elevator with the elated family. Now both of Lewis’s palms were up, his hands were open and twitching slightly, and his head rocked back and forth like a rag doll’s, lolling whichever way someone pushed it. Lewis wasn’t breathing, and his pulse was almost undetectable.

    Crowley tried mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while his partner, Paul Barstow, pumped at Lewis’s chest. At 5:24 the paramedics arrived and worked for about 15 minutes to revive Lewis before rushing him to Waltham-Weston Hospital. Lewis never regained consciousness.

    Crowley remained at Waltham-Weston for nearly two hours. He had no official business there. He just couldn’t bring himself to leave. “I grew more attached to him in the five minutes I worked on him than you would ever have thought possible,” he said. “When they wheeled him away, it was like they took my brother away. I remember seeing his wife coming into the hospital. I thought, She has no idea how serious this is. She identified herself like, “Hi, I’m Reggie Lewis’s wife.’ ”

    I don’t recall, either, any controversy at the time here in Boston over Crowley’s response. There was, however, a good deal of fallout & litigation over supposedly bad medical treatment Lewis received that might have led to his death.

    sierra (dfb2fa)

  70. supposedly bad medical treatment Lewis received that might have led to his death… Sorry, I meant non-emergency medical treatment, as in it was apparent Lewis had some sort of medical problem leading up to his death, having collapsed at an earlier game.

    sierra (dfb2fa)

  71. sierra – It is prolly racist to even talk about that, codewords and all. K?

    JD (9f4ff6)

  72. mantis, the guy clearly witnessed the incident.

    He did? Again, here’s what the ABC report says:

    One of Crowley’s neighbors supported the sergeant’s account, saying that the police report that said Gates was “belligerent” was not completely off the mark.

    Where does it say he witnessed anything? It doesn’t. It says the person is one of the officer’s neighbors. It seems very unlikely he just happened to be passing by Gates’ house at the time of the incident, and then spoke to a reporter about it, but maybe you know something we don’t. If so, why don’t you share?

    You’re making stuff up.

    No, I’m not. I’m relying on the ABC story that Patterico links, which says something different from what he quoted.

    No one believes you because you’ve got no evidence. All you can do is pretend that all the evidence that does exist, doesn’t.

    Other than the conflicting accounts from the officer and Gates, no evidence has been revealed thus far, no matter how much you pretend. I certainly hope the radio recording is released so we can all hear what actually happened.

    The rest of your comment, Juan, has nothing to do with anything I’ve written. On to JD:

    You are either accusing ABC of making up a quote, or Patterico, or suggesting that ABC interviewed someone that was a neighborof the officer for their take on the incident, which is fanciful.

    I’m not accusing anyone of anything, just pointing out that the ABC quote is different from what Patterico posted. I’ve already said my guess is that ABC made an error in their original report, since corrected (though there is no mention of a correction on the site). How is it fanciful to believe that ABC interviewed one of the officer’s neighbors? They state quite clearly in the article that they did (or someone did, anyway). Once again, learn to read.

    Occam’s Razor suggests that they made a mistake in identifying the neighbor originally,

    That’s what I’ve been saying is likely, only you for some reason believe that the apparent correction, which identifies the person as Crowley’s neighbor, is incorrect and the quote Patterico posted is correct. I don’t think you’re all that familiar with Occam’s Razor.

    and that there was a witness to the incident which they have spoken to.

    The article currently states no such thing. Learn to read.

    Plus, there were pictures of that black racist cop at the scene as well.

    Thanks for the non sequitur. That is irrelevant to the question of whether ABC interviewed a witness or not.

    We can only hope that Officer Crowley has the audio tapes released.

    Well, we agree on that, at least.

    mantis (388803)

  73. “he did?”
    YES

    Juan (bd4b30)

  74. Oh, but please elaborate. How is that clear? I’ll quote the relevant portion for you again.

    One of Crowley’s neighbors supported the sergeant’s account, saying that the police report that said Gates was “belligerent” was not completely off the mark.

    Where does it say he witnessed anything?

    mantis (388803)

  75. I really believe that both parties were in the wrong in this situation. I don’t think the cop is a racist, but I do think that he over reacted. I support the police but I’m not going to defend every single action they do. Some time they’re in the wrong.

    Gates over reacted when he saw the police officer on his porch, thinking it was racism.

    If both parties had just acted with cooler heads, then there would never have been a problem.

    mj (745c3d)

  76. Apparently Mantis is moving the goalposts, and if ABC’s latest report doesn’t note that a witness has endorsed that Gates was belligerent no one else has.

    Well, except that we all know Mantis is wrong, and many witnesses, cops, radio operators, neighbors on the scene, have all contradicted Gates’s account.

    Also, Gates’s account fails under basic scrutiny.

    Mantis is arguing a point that isn’t in dispute. We all know, for a fact, that Gates was belligerent. We all know, for a fact, that Gates is a race baiter who has pursued this path as his career.

    Mantis, you aren’t entitled to your own facts. Witnesses were there and ABC revising its story is meaningless. You implying that Patterico did something wrong in quoting the version of the ABC story that was slanted enough for you is ridiculous. You have to swallow the truth: Gates was belligerent. Whether you think he should have been arrested is a fair discussion point, but witnesses all agree that Gates was a jerk.

    Obama admitted he didn’t know the facts before calling cops stupid. That’s what you’re defending. You’re doing about as good a job as it possible, I should add!

    Juan (bd4b30)

  77. It is logical that it was one of Gates’ neighbors, mantis. But that would get in the way of your narrative.

    JD (0a78bf)

  78. By the way, Mantis, I am much happier with the debate being about whether or not Gates was really a belligerent race baiting jerk than moving on to the real matter: whether this warranted an arrest. While I know that the arrest was a great idea, I know that this is a weaker position for me to defend.

    So I’m happy to let you continue to promise everyone that all the stories out there about all those people who heard Gates being belligerent were all lies because one ABC report doesn’t speak to the matter one way or the other.

    We’re all racists anyway, right?

    Juan (bd4b30)

  79. Mantis,

    when “one of Crowley’s neighbors” “support[s] the sergeant’s account” of Gates’s “belligerent” behavior as being “not completely off the mark,”

    that neighbor necessarily is implying that he was an eyewitness.

    Now, perhaps the neighbor’s implication is false, but really: Are we to limit news-story descriptions of “witnesses” to those people who expressly say, on the record, words like “I saw it all, and … ,” or people whom the reporter WITNESSED acting as a witness?

    First rule of holes.

    Mitch (890cbf)

  80. Another important point:

    disturbing the peace is a crime on the books. If you don’t like it, then don’t blame the cops for enforcing the law. It’s not their fault the law is on the books, it’s the State and Local law makers who need to revise the codes, in your view, so that everyone can scream and shout on their porch as long as they want, after people ask them to stop.

    But the cop was enforcing a law. That’s what cops are supposed to do. If this cop had done anything wrong at all, we’d all have heard about it. He’s got a long career and the democrat’s best effort at sliming him (the CPR case) only underline that this cop is a really good guy.

    Unlike, who witnesses on the scene note was “belligerent”.

    So all those saying ‘he should have had the political savvy not to arrest this guy for his minor crime!’ are really saying that cops should be judges.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  81. I think Gates is looking for TV Show personally…..

    HeavenSent (01a566)

  82. Him an Cornell West — it is going to be “Lemme Xplane why Whitey is the Devil.”

    HeavenSent (01a566)

  83. Obama started his ignorant remarks by saying he “didn’t know all the facts” and then goes on to say the Police acted stupidly an brand the officer’s actions “racist”. That is as irresponsible as it gets and it helps perpetuate the old negative connotation to a city that has made huge strides in race relations. The police sargent’s interview is on weei.com (audio stream).
    Obama owes him and the City an apology.

    Larry (942c67)

  84. Cop who arrested black scholar is profiling expert

    The white police sergeant criticized by President Barack Obama for arresting black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his Massachusetts home is a police academy expert on racial profiling.

    Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley has taught a class on racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy after being hand-picked for the job by former police Commissioner Ronny Watson, who is black, said Academy Director Thomas Fleming.

    “I have nothing but the highest respect for him as a police officer. He is very professional and he is a good role model for the young recruits in the police academy,” Fleming told The Associated Press on Thursday.

    The course, called “Racial Profiling,” teaches about different cultures that officers could encounter in their community “and how you don’t want to single people out because of their ethnic background or the culture they come from,” Fleming said.

    Dana (57e332)

  85. Cop who arrested black scholar is profiling expert

    Ha! It looks like Obama really stepped into it this time. Mr. “I don’t anything about this case but the black man was justified in his anger and the white man acted stupidly” got his just deserts.

    John Henry Eden (d3a8ee)

  86. If you listen to the police interview, the police officer states that when they placed the professor into the cruiser, they asked him what the best way was to secure his house and he told them the front door couldn’t be secured due to a recent break in.

    yet the idiot is pissed that the police responded to his neighbors call that there were two men trying break in.

    ???

    Larry (942c67)

  87. Funny, I guess Gates really did not know who he was “messin’ wit”

    HeavenSent (01a566)

  88. Will Obambi be giving a new presser, reluctantly of course, on race relations in America comparing his white grandma to Gates?????

    Maybe he can get Tyler Perry’s Madea to do the speech?

    HeavenSent (01a566)

  89. Is gates going to be at Chuckles doing his Greatest Yo Momma jokes?

    ** I wonder if ObamaTards can appreciate just how idiotic this makes most Black Activists and Obambi look. Like a microcosm of what happens daily in hundreds of communities in the States **

    HeavenSent (01a566)

  90. Apparently Mantis is moving the goalposts, and if ABC’s latest report doesn’t note that a witness has endorsed that Gates was belligerent no one else has.

    I never said any such thing. Nice strawman.

    Well, except that we all know Mantis is wrong, and many witnesses, cops, radio operators, neighbors on the scene, have all contradicted Gates’s account.

    Please do show us where. Thus far I’ve only seen two accounts of the incident from people identified as being present: Gates’ and Crowley’s. If you know of others please provide links.

    Mantis is arguing a point that isn’t in dispute.

    Yes it is, by you and JD.

    We all know, for a fact, that Gates was belligerent.

    We know the police report states this. That doesn’t necessarily make it a fact.

    We all know, for a fact, that Gates is a race baiter who has pursued this path as his career.

    Ah, there it is, then. I see where you’re coming from. That, by the way, is far from a “fact”.

    Witnesses were there and ABC revising its story is meaningless.

    So, whatever you think happened is true, because you say so?

    You implying that Patterico did something wrong in quoting the version of the ABC story that was slanted enough for you is ridiculous.

    I did not imply anything, and do try to make some sense. Patterico quoted something that appears no where else on the internet, to my knowledge. The ABC report differs. If that is not an issue for you and you believe Patterico’s version to be true, regardless of what ABC has reported, fine. I’m more interested in finding out the truth.

    Whether you think he should have been arrested is a fair discussion point, but witnesses all agree that Gates was a jerk.

    Name those witnesses, besides Crowley, please. And by the way, it does seem that Gates was a jerk about it, and I’ve not said otherwise, have I?

    Obama admitted he didn’t know the facts before calling cops stupid. That’s what you’re defending. You’re doing about as good a job as it possible, I should add!

    I’ve not defended anything Obama said throughout this entire thread. Do stop lying about what I say. It’s pretty transparent.

    mantis (388803)

  91. The confrontation leading to the arrest apparently took place on the front porch and front yard which makes it a public place or place to which the public has access. That being said, just because you can make an arrest doesn’t mean you should. I’ve arrested hundreds of people but never for disorderly conduct, abusive language. Some people never out grow the temper tantrums they resorted to as two year olds. All to often a disorderly conduct arrest simply means that two idiots got into an argument and one of them went to jail.

    Paul (6c9da1)

  92. that neighbor necessarily is implying that he was an eyewitness.

    Perhaps, but even if he is implying that, it doesn’t make it so, does it? It’s also possible that ABC misquoted the neighbor. It’s also possible that they screwed up when they presumably corrected the story. There are many possibilities here, but the idea that Crowley’s neighbor witnessed the incident seems the least likely, at least to me.

    Are we to limit news-story descriptions of “witnesses” to those people who expressly say, on the record, words like “I saw it all, and … ,” or people whom the reporter WITNESSED acting as a witness?

    There were no reporters on the scene at the time of the incident, so there is no way that they witnessed any witness acting as a witness. And if they had, they wouldn’t need to quote the witness, since the reporter would have been a witness him/herself.

    mantis (388803)

  93. mantis, evidently you have high standards of proof for evidence contrary to your beliefs …

    SPQR (5811e9)

  94. Interestingly, it appears that Sergeant Crowley actually is considered an expert in racial profiling issues. AP reports that he has taught a class on the issue for five years at the Lowell Police Academy.

    SPQR (5811e9)

  95. mantis, your comments are extremely long, but they are also simplistic and self contradictory.

    Either you have disputed everyone’s qccount that gates is belligerent, and when I point out that all you have for evidence is that one ABC account doesn’t discuss it, you say ‘that’s not what I’m saying’.

    That’s pathetic.

    We all know that Gates was belligerent. Because of all the witnesses. It’s simple.

    You can deny the obvious meanings of words, and pretend that people are saying things they aren’t, and give long fiskings which are asinine, but at the end of the day: Gates was belligerent, and we know this because of all the witnesses.

    Everyone in America who has heard of Gates for the first time knows he’s a jerk. That’s this man’s legacy. Jerk.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  96. that second paragraph didn’t edit as I thought it had. But what I’m saying is pretty clear. Mantis has provided one form of evidence: a version of an ABC story that says nothing one way or other, to dispute many accounts that all agree that Gates is belligerent.

    Add in that the account Mantis looks to is obviously a simplistic mistake naming ‘Crowley’ as neighbor on accident (the only logical reading), and it’s clear Mantis isn’t trying to be honest or fair about this simple thing.

    His long diatribes that are needlessly personal and demand ridiculous things just show that he’s not got his head on straight about this.

    Gates was belligerent, and everyone there agrees about this.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  97. In the racial equivalent of bring a sword to a gun fight …

    Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley has taught a class on racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy after being hand-picked for the job by former police Commissioner Ronny Watson, who is black, said Academy Director Thomas Fleming. “I have nothing but the highest respect for him as a police officer. He is very professional and he is a good role model for the young recruits in the police academy,” Fleming told The Associated Press on Thursday. The course, called “Racial Profiling,” teaches about different cultures that officers could encounter in their community “and how you don’t want to single people out because of their ethnic background or the culture they come from,” Fleming said.

    I suggest that Obama tell his good buddy “Skip” Gates to “cool it”

    Neo (46a1a2)

  98. As for the ABC quote that mantis is questioning. I noticed that, too, but when I looked for it and couldn’t find it I googled only a portion and got almost the same excerpt in a post by Dan Riehl. His was:

    “Crowley’s neighbors had a different story that tends to support the sergeant’s actions. One man who says he saw the incdient (sic) said the police report that said Gates was belligerent was not completely off the mark.”

    That this is different from even Patterico’s but having essentially the same character, plus the (sic) inserted) leads me to believe that ABC is had been changing the story all along.

    I have more trust in Patterico to think he just makes up a quote, and even more trust that ABC would makes changes in their report without notification. Seems to me that the changes not only obfuscate the story, but as initially written was harsh on Gates and was subsequently softened due to “editorial discretion”. Whether the editorial discretion was prompted by a call from a concerned politician, only the editor knows.

    Dusty (7bba43)

  99. Did anyone see the Cambridge PD news conference?

    JD (0a78bf)

  100. mantis, evidently you have high standards of proof for evidence contrary to your beliefs …

    Do elaborate, please.

    Once again, so far all we have is the police report and Gates’ account, which conflict. I’ve seen numerous cases where police reports have been proven false by video evidence, so I don’t necessarily accept them as fact, at least in the absence of any other evidence. I’d be more likely to believe a police report is accurate if say, the suspect is a known criminal, but that’s not the case here. In this case he is a respected Harvard professor, so I’m not quite sure whose account is accurate, or if it’s somewhere in between. I’d love to hear the audio of the incident, if in fact it was recorded as the ABC report states. Otherwise I’d be taking one man’s word over another, and I’m not prepared to do that. It seems like Gates was acting like a jerk, at least, but even that I’m not sure about without any other evidence.

    mantis (388803)

  101. American thinker found this instructional video from Chris Rock on how to deal with police….
    http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/07/dear_professor_gates.html

    Foxfier (db0f51)

  102. “Seems to me that the changes not only obfuscate the story, but as initially written was harsh on Gates and was subsequently softened due to “editorial discretion”.”

    That’s quite obvious. They didn’t want to make clear that the witness had seen the event. ABC probably is under orders to omit any witness reports… they all say that Gates was belligerent.

    ABC, after all, runs everything by Obama’s administration. Even their fonts are Obama campaign fonts. Regardless of their bias, the idea that they would print a report of someone explaining what they witnessed, and that that person wasn’t a witness, is very amusing.

    Almost as ridiculous as Gates’s account of the event. As self defeating as Mantis’s long-winded backtracking.

    And don’t get me wrong: I myself am guilty of being long winded and have no problem with that.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  103. Mantis, I heard on ABC radio (just an hour ago) an interview with a male bystander who witnessed the arrest. What he said to the reporter is that Gates was totally out of control. If it makes you happy, he was not identified as “Crowley’s neighbor.”

    CWC (a3e84f)

  104. mantis, your comments are extremely long, but they are also simplistic and self contradictory.

    Too bad you can’t show how.

    Either you have disputed everyone’s qccount that gates is belligerent, and when I point out that all you have for evidence is that one ABC account doesn’t discuss it, you say ‘that’s not what I’m saying’.

    “Everyone” is one person, and I haven’t disputed his account at all. I’ve just noted that it conflicts with Gates’, and that no other witnesses have come forward, as far as I know.

    We all know that Gates was belligerent. Because of all the witnesses. It’s simple.

    What witnesses? You still haven’t answered that.

    You can deny the obvious meanings of words, and pretend that people are saying things they aren’t, and give long fiskings which are asinine, but at the end of the day: Gates was belligerent, and we know this because of all the witnesses.

    Well, I wouldn’t have to Fisk if you didn’t have strawmen, falsehoods, or misrepresentations of what I have written in almost every sentence you write.

    Add in that the account Mantis looks to is obviously a simplistic mistake naming ‘Crowley’ as neighbor on accident (the only logical reading), and it’s clear Mantis isn’t trying to be honest or fair about this simple thing.

    How is it obviously a mistake, and even if it is why did ABC change it, if that’s what they did, to an inaccurate version of events. Corrections usually go the other way, you know. I’m being plenty honest and fair.

    His long diatribes that are needlessly personal and demand ridiculous things just show that he’s not got his head on straight about this.

    They aren’t personal, and I haven’t demanded anything ridiculous. Point out where I have if you disagree.

    Gates was belligerent, and everyone there agrees about this.

    Really? Everyone? Fascinating.

    mantis (388803)

  105. Mantis, I hate to admit it: I haven’t been reading more than the first couple of sentences in your comments. Maybe I glanced over the rest to see if you had anything to say, but not much. It’s just too obvious that Gates was belligerent for me to go into too much depth on the topic.

    I was amused at first that you are so motivated to disprove something that is obvious, but now I feel guilty at what appears to be a substantial amount of work on your part.

    Please continue if you enjoy this, but I still know that Gates was belligerent. Because cops, radio operators, witnesses, etc… they all agree he was belligerent, and all you’ve got is some story that doesn’t say he wasn’t belligerent. I’m thinking this isn’t a complicated dispute.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  106. I’m honestly not trying to be irritating to dismiss you, either, Mantis. Don’t take my comment as goading. This guy is a professor of Afro American studies! He’s an idiot! What about this guy’s life warrants such a ridiculous defense?

    Juan (bd4b30)

  107. Because cops, radio operators, witnesses, etc… they all agree he was belligerent, and all you’ve got is some story that doesn’t say he wasn’t belligerent.

    I’ll make it real easy for you so you don’t have to waste too much time. What witnesses?

    mantis (388803)

  108. What about this guy’s life warrants such a ridiculous defense?

    Nothing. I haven’t defended him once in this entire thread. I’m just interested in finding out what really happened.

    mantis (388803)

  109. Mantis would argue with a fencepost. And he isn’t going to stop until everyone agrees with him.

    PatAZ (9d1bb3)

  110. In addition to Gates, the only other possible racist was Obama, since he stated he didn’t know anything about the situation, but immediately assumed the white cop acted stupidly. Sounds like text book racism.

    Ray (3c46ca)

  111. mantis, yes, you have defended him. You can deny it by being extremely obtuse, but every single thing you have said was defensive of Gates.

    You aren’t a clever sophist. It’s OK to read between the lines to a minimal extent in human communication.

    You’re just completely refusing to have a reasonable discussion. As I said, I can’t even bother to keep up with everything you say because every single line you type is glaringly silly.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  112. Interesting that this professor’s neighbors said he was arrogant and disruptive during the incident. Worse we got to see racial profiling from the President and this race hustler.

    By the way this prof. home had been broken into before this incident when he was away.

    The President demonstrated what he learned in Rev. Wright’s church during his 20 year stay there. Why should we be surprised?

    Thomas Jackson (8ffd46)

  113. I’ve not defended anything Obama said throughout this entire thread

    “…except by my extensive and laborious deflections and insinuations.”

    Dmac (e6d1c2)

  114. I’m just interested in finding out what really happened.

    Comment by mantis — 7/23/2009 @ 2:33 pm

    The police investigated a possible break-in into a prominent Harvard scholar’s home. And they found a dirty-talking creep. So they took him in to let the lawyers and judges sort it out.

    nk (54c569)

  115. Did anyone watch the Cambridge PD press conference today?

    JD (c3a7b7)

  116. “Apparently Mantis is moving the goalposts, and if ABC’s latest report doesn’t note that a witness has endorsed that Gates was belligerent no one else has.”

    Oh dude was a total dick. Now, apparently, this is a crime. I’d think the first amendment thoughtcrime hate speech folks would be all over this one.

    imdw (e8663e)

  117. You still haven’t pointed to any witnesses, Juan.

    mantis (fe3c11)

  118. Mantis – CWC pointed you to an interview with a witness on ABC news. Others have pointed out that the witness referenced in this thread confirms the account. That you are so incurious as to not look beyond this thread is baffling. I blame Bush.

    JD (410197)

  119. “And they found a dirty-talking creep. ”

    That lived there. Apparently this is a crime to this cop.

    imdw (490521)

  120. The convoluted,in-denial, “Twister”-like spin by the usual leftard suspect posters is worth the price of admission.

    Dr. Carlo Lombardi (13f1c4)

  121. I hope the Sgt. resigns, gets the hell out of Cambridge, and takes a short relaxing vacation. There are probably a thousand police departments across the country who would love to have this experienced cop on their force. He doesn’t need all this crap and media attention for just doing his job.

    elizabeth (752167)

  122. That lived there. Apparently this is a crime to this cop.

    Are you seriously saying that Gates was arrested because he lived there?

    Steverino (69d941)

  123. Yes, steverino, it is. It is a dishonest disingenuous troll.

    JD (410197)

  124. Hey, we finally have a witness on record (though I doubt it was what Juan was referring to, considering this just appeared 20 minutes ago), from the Boston ABC affiliate:

    Bill Carter, the man who snapped a photograph of Gates being led away in handcuffs, said police officers were calm and that Gates was “slightly out of control” and “agitated” when he was arrested.

    “The officers around kind of calmed him down,” Carter said. “I heard him yelling — Mr. Gates yelling. I didn’t hear anything that he was saying so I couldn’t say that he was belligerent.”

    It seems likely Mr. Parker is the neighbor the original ABC report was referring to, even though that story has not changed, and the statements seem somewhat at odds. And that the neighbor says he was out of control and agitated when he was arrested does lend support to Crowley’s version of events (as opposed to after he was arrested, which if he was calm prior to that would be pretty understandable).

    That and other details that have emerged today about Officer Crowley certainly seem to lend support to his version of events, and I’m more inclined to believe Gates was being an assface.

    Still like to hear that radio recording, though.

    mantis (fe3c11)

  125. “Are you seriously saying that Gates was arrested because he lived there?”

    No guy. That was me adding to the ‘creep’ story. Gates wasn’t arrested because he was black. He was arrested for being uppity.

    imdw (bb6bc2)

  126. “And they found a dirty-talking creep. ”

    That lived there. Apparently this is a crime to this cop.

    Comment by imdw — 7/23/2009 @ 4:29 pm

    No, honey. If I am looking to protect a prominent Harvard scholar and find a dirty-talking creep in his house, what would you want me to do? Hit him over the head with my blackjack? Walk away? Turn my back on him? Or let the lawyers and judges sort it out?

    nk (32c481)

  127. CWC pointed you to an interview with a witness on ABC news. Others have pointed out that the witness referenced in this thread confirms the account. That you are so incurious as to not look beyond this thread is baffling.

    CWC pointed to a radio interview. I searched and couldn’t find anything at the time. The witness comments referenced in this thread were different than those on ABC’s site, and their contradictions made any conclusion unapproachable to my mind. Some among you seemed to believe the version you liked better and ignored the contradictions. I prefer to wait for more facts. And I’m obviously not incurious to look beyond this thread (see above).

    mantis (fe3c11)

  128. The bottom line is that the creep was handled with kid gloves and got due process.

    nk (32c481)

  129. “If I am looking to protect a prominent Harvard scholar and find a dirty-talking creep in his house, what would you want me to do?”

    Wait, who’s looking to protect a prominent harvard professor? The guy arresting a prominent harvard professor? or what?

    “The bottom line is that the creep was handled with kid gloves and got due process.”

    Yeah your average victim of cop idiocy doesn’t get Ogletree to represent them.

    [note: fished from spam filter]

    imdw (758828)

  130. Hmm, and here we have more of Mr. Carter’s account (and somewhat different regarding the timing):

    Carter, a 58-year-old former manager at Bank of America, said he saw four police officers on the porch and “at least six or seven police cars’’ in the street.

    “So I grabbed my camera, because when you see police, you know something’s going on.’’

    Something was.

    Moments later, Carter snapped the only known photograph of a handcuffed Henry Louis Gates Jr. Carter said Gates was “agitated’’ as police led him off to face a charge of disorderly conduct.

    “I had no idea who he was,’’ Carter said. “I just took one picture of him . . . and was on my way.

    The incident has been a point of discourse across the country, and Carter also has an opinion.

    “I know he was tired and upset, but someone of his stature and education should be a little more understanding,’’ he said.’’

    mantis (fe3c11)

  131. A discussion with mantis is no different than wrestling with a pig.

    Old Coot (83c1d1)

  132. For the idiot: Arrest report link has name of witness – Lucia Whalen. Also a witness to Gate’s racist rant, Carlos Figueroa.

    http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0723092gates3.html

    Ray (3c46ca)

  133. How long before the dems start digging into Ms. Whalen’s personal data. Sadly, she will probably pay a price for being a good citizen.

    Old Coot (83c1d1)

  134. “For the idiot: Arrest report link has name of witness – Lucia Whalen. Also a witness to Gate’s racist rant, Carlos Figueroa. ”

    According to that arrest report, the cop said Gates appeared to be the resident even before getting the ID. Do folks find this consistent with the idea that there was a probable cause to investigated a burglary?

    “How long before the dems start digging into Ms. Whalen’s personal data. Sadly, she will probably pay a price for being a good citizen.”

    Hey maybe now the GOP will turn into a defender of public employee unions.

    [note: fished from spam filter]

    imdw (dc9722)

  135. The moral of the story is to let angry blacks defend themselves. I suspect that lesson was learned in LA long ago and every time there is a riot, like the Rodney King story, arrest rates go down in black neighborhoods.

    One good thing about the whole incident, though.

    It probably killed Obamacare as the story became the race profiling, not the health care debate.

    I think Bradley might call that “burying the lede.”

    Mike K (2cf494)

  136. Well it is sad that the pres feel this way towards whites because he is half and living in Chicago my home town is probaly where he learned it. He should of stayed in Hawaii he would of been better off. His wife had much to do with his going to Rev. Right church she was bred here in Chicago “reverse racist town”. Jesus just took the pain and torture he did not cry racism for being who was.

    Truth (b5eae4)

  137. Good on you, mantis.

    JD (b537f4)

  138. You know, Stacy Koon, one of the officers in the Rodney King case, once gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a black transvestite,

    It’s interesting that you jog my memory with that, because my sense of this pathetic display involving Gates and Obama was that it was a modified version of the controversy surrounding Rodney King several years ago. In fact, I was curious enough about the Henry Gates story yesterday to do a bit of digging to refresh my recollection of the Rodney King case. And although I’ve long known King’s life — post infamous videotaped arrest — was full of run-ins with the law, I actually didn’t realize how bad it really was.

    Beyond that, these “racial incidents” really aren’t about race or racism as much as they’re about the mindlessness, stupidity, hollowness and phoniness of “progressive” or “lefty” thinking. (For example, Gates probably would — and I don’t believe it’s too much of a stretch to claim this — regret the civil-rights movement if the 9 justices on the Supreme Court were clones of Clarence Thomas.) Therefore, it seems somehow quite proper that this dust-up involving an academic from Massachusetts — glommed onto by the ultra-“lefty” in the White House — should occur in an uber-“lefty” community like Cambridge.

    The idiots of the left deserve one another.

    Mark (411533)

  139. This whole incident reminds me of a date I once had who when I open the door to a restaurant to let her walk-in called me a sexist and that she could open her own doors.

    For Gates to come out guns blazing with the racist label is pretty much a sign of how fucked up he is, not the cop.

    With that said, I would not have arrested him either. I simply would have left and told him to GFY.

    HeavenSent (01a566)

  140. Wait for the staged noose incident around Gates’ house or office.

    daleyrocks (718861)

  141. “the cop said Gates appeared to be the resident even before getting the ID”

    That’s still consistent with probably cause to investigate. A reasonable person could and should still be somewhat skeptical in that situation, especially given the evasiveness of the suspect. He knew someone had broken into that home, and he knew that someone who appeared to be the resident was screaming at him. I’m sure he didn’t want to, but his duty was to ensure this guy wasn’t a burglar and then leave.

    Just because it appears everything is ok doesn’t mean cops should abandon their emergency calls.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  142. mantis, I was referring to SEVERAL witnesses.

    Several. I never said I was relying on any single one. I love that you think this is some kind of personal fight against me, and now that it’s clear I’m right, and all accounts show Gates to be belligerent, none of the accounts are the ones I was generally referring to… just because! How ridiculous.

    Juan (bd4b30)

  143. “That’s still consistent with probably cause to investigate. ”

    Its ‘probable cause that a crime has or is occuring.’ not ‘probable cause to investigate.’ Probable cause is not ‘skepticism.’

    imdw (9811a2)

  144. The police do not need probable cause to investigate. Only articulable suspicion. Probable cause is for searches and seizures. This has already been discussed, imdw.

    nk (b6fb1d)

  145. mantis, I was referring to SEVERAL witnesses.

    Yeah, but none had spoken publicly yet that you could point to. Your witnesses didn’t exist. Whalen, if that’s who you were referring to, had not and has not spoken about the incident beyond her 911 call.

    Several. I never said I was relying on any single one.

    Yeah, you wrote several, but could identify none.

    I love that you think this is some kind of personal fight against me,

    I didn’t. You responded to me, I responded in kind. If you think that’s “making it personal,” then perhaps the interwebs aren’t for you.

    and now that it’s clear I’m right,

    Hardly. You still have never told us who all the witnesses you say you relied on were. The one I named, who to my knowledge is the only one who has spoken, had not yet appeared in any news outlet (except maybe radio).

    and all accounts show Gates to be belligerent,

    Actually, the only witness account thus far specifically states that he couldn’t say whether Gates was belligerent (but was agitated), and that he was only there for a moment or two. One account shows Gates to have been belligerent: the police report. I’m inclined to believe that is more accurate than Gates’ account, as I stated above, but I don’t think it’s necessary to rely on imaginary witnesses.

    How ridiculous.

    You are indeed.

    mantis (388803)

  146. Joe above said it right , gates was an asshole
    and the cop was dumb

    nick (7e1cec)

  147. Gates was wrong and Obama was wrong The police hafe to deal with alot of worrie when they get a call what if someone had been in there doing a home invasion perhaps killing Mr. Gates like what happened to the parents of all those handicap children a week or two ago in broad daylight The police arrive not knowing if they are gonna get their face shot off its no time for someone who has been angry his whole life and will more then likely be the rest of it to make something out of nothing because of who he is ALREADY TALKING ABOUT THE LAWSUIT and was already working on the book before this happened he was waiting for the chance to pounce on a white officer. Police should take their time getting to his address If ever called again
    Like Obama said he would get shot if he tried to jimmy the lock on the white house door all people should feel so protected you dont mess with security at the white house no matter your color you will be shot they dont play and the police shouldent play either They want to see their kids at the end of the day also . Gates should show some respect for the fact that the police are trying to do their job just like security at the white house when their is a chance that someone could be killed the police cannot be to careful and I am sure they are a bit on edge risking their lives everyday walking into the unknown The police officer dident know who Gates was but Gates knew who the officer was Mr.Gates had no reason to be on edge he just felt disrespected and acted like a fool.I say send Mr.Gates into a home where a possible home invasion is taken place and see if he thinks about his the past,his race, or will he be just praying he lives through this will he live to see his family later.I think during a time like that the police should be cut some slack on offending someone (hurting their poor little feelings) They have a serious job to do ITS NOT A GAME!!!!!!!!! Heres A Few Cases Broad Daylight With Their Children Home Parents Shot //privateofficernews.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/parents-of-16-children-killed-in-home-invasion-www-privateofficer-com/http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=10673892 Little 12 year old girl killed in home Invasion http://privateofficernews.wordpress.com/2009/04/11/security-officer-killed-in-violent-home-invasion-wwwprivateofficercom/ “Security Guard Killed In Violent Home Invasion” Mr.Gates Should Be Thanking This Officer That Responded To This Call Did His Job And More Then Likely Would Have Took A Bullet To Protect Mr.Gates Had Someone Been In The Home Trying To Do Harm To Mr.Gates All These People That Think If You Are In Your Own Home You Can Get All Up In An Officers Face In The Middle Of A Possible Home Invasion Like Mr. Gates Admitted He Did And Have A Fit So Loud That It Causes The Neighbors To Gather To Hear Mr. Gates Talking Trash About The Officers Momma You People Think That Is Right Somethings Serious Wrong With You All.

    Disappointed Deb (be09d9)

  148. “The police do not need probable cause to investigate. Only articulable suspicion. Probable cause is for searches and seizures. This has already been discussed, imdw.”

    The police may need probable cause if their investigation rises to a certain privacy invasion. Such as entering a home.

    imdw (f41ee5)

  149. Just because you might give mouth to mouth to a black man (a famous athlete, at that), doesn’t mean you are not racist. You might be willing to kiss a black person, but still not want them to live next to you or date your daughter. However, I agree that racism was not the overt issue in the Gates-Crowley case. What was at issue was power. Here’s my take on the situation:

    Gates’ dignity as a homeowner–they do say a man’s home is his castle–was threatened by Crowley’s failure to give him the benefit of the doubt from the start. When a cop responds to a break-in call and is met at the door by a middle aged man in spectacles and polo shirt, he should assume right off that the guy lives there, even while seeking to verify that he was the homeowner: “Sorry for this inconvenience, sir, but we have a report of a break-in; just as a formality, could you show me your ID?” However, from both the police report as well as Gates’ account, the officer did not appear to open the “conversation” in this way; instead, he made it clear to Gates that Gates was a suspect and nothing else. He further upset Gates when he refused to show Gates his badge when it was requested of him (this is of course a point of contention, but the officer never mentions showing his badge or being requested to–says it was only his name that was being asked and that he gave it when requested–and Gates says the badge and only the badge was what he was demanding from the start, as well as what he kept on demanding from the porch, so we should be able to verify that detail from witnesses; I tend to give a little more credence to Gates on this little point).

    In turn, the officer felt his authority was threatened by Gates’s demands, especially when Gates asked him, “Is this because I’m black in America?” Cowley, as an officer trained in the problem of racial profiling, was offended by the implication that he was being racist and threatened by Gates’s aggressive demands. So I think he refused to show the badge as a way of demonstrating to Gates that the officer was in charge: “only I can ask for your ID; you can’t ask for mine.”

    It’s easy to see how this dynamic escalated into Gates becoming even more upset. We can’t know exactly what he said to Cowley, although I believe he probably went over the line as Cowley reports he did. Cowley then tried to lure Gates onto the porch, clearly because he intended to arrest him for disorderly conduct (something he couldn’t do inside the house). Gates did not respond to this request, so Cowley exited from the house as Gates continued to ask to see his badge. I believe Cowley knew that Gates might follow him out onto the porch with his demand, and that’s where the arrest took place, so Cowley effectively baited Gates into an arrest on disorderly conduct. Cowley was stretching the definition of “disorderly conduct” by arresting him on those grounds. It seems clear that Gates was yelling at him from the porch, but Massachussetts state law defines disorderly conduct as behavior that demonstrates an imminent threat to officers or citizens in a public place, and it’s hard to imagine why a disabled middle aged man yelling on his porch could be considered disorderly conduct in that sense (furthermore, in yelling, Gates was just continuing to make the request that Cowley was ignoring, it was not the random yelling of a maniac but a somewhat understandable expression of frustration–out of hand, to be sure–of having the cop ignore what he was asking and what he was legally entitled to ask).

    Neither of these men handled the situation very well. But Cowley showed /just enough/ disrespect to Gates as possible homeowner that his insensitive attitude precipated the latter’s charge of racial profiling. And Gates responded with /just enough/ hot-headedness to precipitate Cowley’s frustration and subsequent decision to arrest him. In other words, there is exactly as much disorderly conduct in this case as there is of racial profiling. That is to say, less than enough, but just enough more than zero to set each of the men off the course of their usual calm and measured personalities. Everyone who knows Cowley says he’s not a bully cop. Anyone who knows Gates is aware that he’s a gentle, kind man who treats others with great respect and is by no means someone who goes about accusing white people of racism. But there are moments in life when circumstances take us by surprise: Gates was exhausted from a 12-hour flight and probably anxious about whether his broken front door meant he had been robbed; Cowley may have been a little off his game that day.

    When it comes to their respective testimonies of what happened, I think Gates makes a great mistake by refusing to acknowledge that he might have overreacted. His own testimony makes him sound like a calm, measured saint, when neighbor witnesses clearly indicate the contrary. Sergeant Crowley, on the other hand, seems to be covering over the badge incident in his written report, although one understands why a cop would stand his ground; it’s sort of what cops do. Gates committed his biggest mistake when he offered to give Cowley private lessons in the history of racial profiling. In doing so, he showed Cowley the patronizing arrogance of his class, and thereby set off so much negative reaction in the media and in popular opinion. I hope they both show a little more humility and distance from the situation when they meet with Obama for their beer.

    CJ353 (3272e0)

  150. CJ353 – I quit counting after assumption #537. The idea that Gates was “lured” outside so he could be arrested does not pass the smell test, and several reasonable explanations were offered as to why, for reasons of safety and procedure, it was best to be outside.

    Imdw – Why do you insist on arguing points that were discussed, at great length, previously?

    JD (f2f4d2)

  151. It doesn’t pass the ‘smell test’ because it does not fit into your tight little ‘democrats bad, republicans good, always’ box. If anything didn’t fit into your Jedi vs. Sith mentality of the world then your whole idiotic perspective would come crashing down. That is why a unique and sensitive care has to be taken so that you do not upset this balance.

    Seattle Slew (4dff28)

  152. You are a particularly vile one aren’t you? How about this one? The report Crowley received was that there were 2 suspects, and he had only found one at that point. Having no idea who or what may be encountered in unknown environs like the house, it is a safe, practical, and reasonable measure to move the conversation outside.

    Where did this one come from?

    JD (55b145)

  153. […] incident said the police report that said Gates was belligerent was not completely off the mark. Source __________________ Three rules of Wall Street: Never play by the rules, never tell the truth, […]

    Stupid Is as Stupid Does: Obama Chimes in on Gates Arrest - Page 9 - Global Affairs Forum, Politics, Law, Science, Health (51e4fe)

  154. C’mon, JD…this TLE writes:

    ” it does not fit into your tight little ‘democrats bad, republicans good, always’ box. If anything didn’t fit into your Jedi vs. Sith mentality of the world then your whole idiotic perspective would come crashing down. That is why a unique and sensitive care has to be taken so that you do not upset this balance.”

    That is either medically treatable projection, or a truly awesome inability to self-perceive.

    It is just troll trying to irritate people with silly strawperson comments.

    Eric Blair (57b266)

  155. The projection is strong with this one …

    SPQR (26be8b)

  156. The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association is set to defend a Boston police officer for allegedly using a racial slur to describe black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. Keep Boston white!

    Boston Grand Wizard (367a8e)


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