Arrested for trying to get into one's own home

[tabbyblack13]

I'm sick and damned tired of that being used as an excuse. "I'm ALLOWED to be an asshole." Whoopdee fucking doo. ... Free speech is all well and good, but I wish people would stop using it as a pass on being fuckholes.

Thank you BroomJockey! I feel the same way about this. I also believe if you say it take responsibility for it too.

I don't believe he was arrested for breaking and entering. I think it was for disturbing the public or something similar to that.

[Dreamstalker]

I thought for a disorderly conduct charge to stick it had to be on public property. Unless I'm mistaken about property laws and/or where the confrontation happened, one's front porch is still considered private property.

[daleduke17]

My father was one of the few great cops and even greater men. I've met too many of his disgusting macho disgraceful coworkers to ever give anyone the benefit of the doubt. Just because they have a more dangerous job than most, does not give them the right to illegally harrass others. Being human does not give them carte blanche to antoganize others and arrest anyone that they don't like.

But, apparently it gives you the right to bash, demean and trash all police officers as a whole, right?

[Nyoibo]

Being nice is not a legal requirement in the U.S. Free speech allows average citizens to say anything they want even if it's laden with profanity. A cop has to take such non-constructive criticism as part of their job.

Actually, I think if you look at some of the laws, no people can't, and no cops don't.

[crazylegs]

I thought for a disorderly conduct charge to stick it had to be on public property. Unless I'm mistaken about property laws and/or where the confrontation happened, one's front porch is still considered private property.

Some laws are written so that if said outburst can be heard outside of the property the arrest conditions are met.

[Dreamstalker]

The original call was for B&E IIRC.

Now it's being made into a whole racial thing, and the media is running with it it seems..

[daleduke17]

The original call was for B&E IIRC.

Now it's being made into a whole racial thing, and the media is running with it it seems..

Just because Mr. Gates didn't follow the first rule of dealing with the police:

Be calm and respectful.

[Dreamstalker]

Both sides were in the wrong, but the first bad move was made by the officer IMO. He should have been able to defuse the situation, but for whatever reason did not. Gates isn't completely blameless either though; I can cut him a bit of slack for the initial outburst under the circumstances, but he could have taken the high road and not made this into a racial incident.

The ex is calling me a racist now (this conversation is now over ) and claiming that Gates did not live at his own address (huh?).

[anriana]

"The high road" = ignoring discrimination? Interesting.

[Mr Slugger]

Being from the area there's all sorts of news on this one. And we get more than the 2 minute blurb in the news

First off let me state that both sides could have settled this better at the time. Honestly watching this play out on the news. Seeing the professor speak, the officer speak. I wouldn't be surprised if the officer arrested him just because the professor was being an ass. (And he was arrested, just the charges got dropped)

From what the news has told me. The officer showed up on the report of a break in. The professor refused to show ID (mistake #1) Threw out the race card, etc. Finally showed some ID, cop checked everything cop went to leave. The professor followed him out (mistake #2) then something was said about the officer's mother (mistake #3) Cop arrested the guy (mistake #4 which caused the news story)

However since then I mean at no point has the professor come out and said look I'm sorry I got hot headed. I should have handled things better. I'm partly to blame.

Instead it's been about race, and how he's claustrophobic and couldn't handle being in a cell for 4 hours, although he just got off a plane The officer needs to apologize, etc.

The officer pretty much is just saying I'm not apologizing and stating facts. There's no personal remarks involved.

Now from my stand point. Two years ago I was grilled for about 20 minutes in front of my store because what happened was the alarm went off and I headed to the store to reset the alarm deal with issues, etc. I showed up there no cops were there. So I went in checked out the place reset the alarm. It was just a false alarm. I get to go in my car. Cop approaches me. So for the next 20 minutes I had to show ID, answer the 20 questions repeatedly, get checked out from HQ, etc. Now was it a pain yes. But the cop is just doing his job, and from my stand point he is watching out for my business. I would never consider being disrespectful to that officer.

I guess though they are considering releasing the tapes. So maybe we'll see what really happened

[tropicsgoddess]

Sounds like racial profiling to me. The cop refused to give out his badge number and name even after (politely) being requested to do so. Not only that, but how they claim that he was belligerent when he wasn't at all and arresting him at his own house for "disorderly conduct" even after he provided them his ID which proved that he lived there.

[Slayergrrl]

Hi. I'm Mostly a lurker at CS and here but I had to weigh in my 2 cents for what its worth. I live in the city that this happened in and happen to date an Officer that works for the Department in question. Please do not ask me specifics of the case for I cannot and will not answer them.

I know the Sgt in question. he teaches Racial profile classes at the Police Academy. He was appointed for that position by the EX police Commissioner who happens to be African American. He also tried to save the life of Reggie Lewis who also was African American. You can get all the proof you need about that here : www.BostonHerald.com

You can also find some of the press conference coverage at that site as well.

As far as Professor Gates is concerned. His house was broken into while he was in China. The Harvard PD investigated that break in. The Sgt Was not in Plain clothes when he showed up to the house but in full uniform. He did Identify himself. You can read the Police report here: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...092gates1.html

[daleduke17]

"The high road" = ignoring discrimination? Interesting.

Where was the racism other than Gates exclaiming "This is because I'm a black man in America" (or something similar)?

[BroomJockey]

He did Identify himself. You can read the Police report here: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...092gates1.html

Except that in the end, the police report is just the officer's word. We don't know this officer. We don't know if he's willing to bend the situation to keep from getting in deep shit, or to stick it to the fucker to mouthed off at him (regardless of skin colour, even), and so on.

Frankly, I'm not even sure this was a racial thing; I think it was just a cop being a dick to a guy who was being a dick to him first.

[Mr Slugger]

Where was the racism other than Gates exclaiming "This is because I'm a black man in America" (or something similar)?

To some extent some could call this a reverse racism thing as well. I mean is every white police officer that is responding to a call a racist because he want to ask questions of a person who just so happens to be black?

Frankly, I'm not even sure this was a racial thing; I think it was just a cop being a dick to a guy who was being a dick to him first.

That's pretty much my take on it honestly. I mean if you've ever watched any of those "stupid people caught on tape" you'll usually see one or two with people mouthing off to a cop, and most of the time the officer just walks away saying have a nice day. (I mean unless the person even so much as touches the cop) But I mean I've seen many times where if someone is being an ass, someone will be an ass back. Whether it's because they've had a bad day already or what. I mean in the liquor store I've had to call the cops on people. If I'm having a good day I'll tell them to leave a few times. If I'm having a bad day and don't want to deal with their crap I call them immediately.