Breaking into your own home?

If they could blame anyone for racial profiling, they could blame the neighbor (stretch).

I don't think the cops arrested him because he's black, but rather because he fit the description of a break-in suspect that was reported by a neighbor. Had he cooperated with the police, I'm certain it would have ended in a laugh and handshake.

The officer should have also provided identification.

It sounds like a mountain out of a molehill to me, I was once in a similar situation, the only hard part was convincing the officer to let me go inside and get my ID to prove I lived there, and that it was my own car I was fooling with the wires on. (It was an electrical short, something had to be unplugged or it would run the battery down, they thought I was trying to hotwire it.) Once I showed them my ID the only problem was that the commotion had awakened my elderly mother who did not wake up in a pleasant mood.

I was glad to know that my car was safe from sterio thieves while parked on the street to be honest. In the professors defense thopugh, there is no reason the cops should not have shown him ID as they were asking it of him.

Oh I have some experience on this one


I had my own place at 17, and ended up letting my best friend move in with me. We only had the one set of keys, and I had gone to visit my mom so my friend L had the keys. During my time away, my apt was robbed..... L called the police, etc. and called me. I came home the next day. It was a small apt. with the door and window at ground level.

L was not there when I got there with my brother and the door was locked. So without thinking, I crawled in through the already broken window.

My brother and I were in the process of looking around, looking outside when out of nowhere come 1/2 doz police officers with guns drawn They had got a call about me crawling in the window.

My luck, I had left my purse at my moms . I cooperated with the Police and told them I lived there, and this person was my brother.... Luckily my brother had id (same last name ) and my landlord lived 2 houses down, so we got him to verify I was who I said I was.

Although it scared the living poo outta me, I'm glad they came. It's just too bad that noone had seen the actual person who had robbed me 2 days previous

That said:

The case in the link.

Do I think it was racial profiling, NO.
If I had been uncooperative, both me and my brother would have been arrested, and we're both white.
To most people, the lack of cooperation here, would put them on the defensive. Why not show ID when asked by the police who were investigating a report of robbery. To me, that is just asking for trouble, no matter what race/religion/etc. you are.


Yes, the officer should have provided him with that info. Is it not law to do so?

Racial profiling, no.... A case of an incident that did not have to happen, yes. If he had cooperated in the first place....... I know its hard to do so when in the circumstance, I know I was SHOCKED with being surround by officers with guns drawn.... but, the report was, someone was breaking and entering. I cooperated, and the whole incident was resolved within 20mins.

To answer the question, I would be happy to know that my neighbours are keeping an eye on the community.

If the owner had simply spoken to the officer and showed ID it could have all been resolved and taken care of with a handshake. But because he was black he decided to play the racial card - I am totally getting very sick of the "woe is me, I'm black" issue. Yes, there is prejudice out there but it isn't always about blacks. Some people don't like Mexicans, some Cubans, some Slavs and the list goes on. The bottom line is that if you are any of these ethnic groups and you feel prejudice from someone, then stay away from them and don't make your situation worse by playing the prejudice card - it only makes folks dislike you even more.

I live in a nearby neighboorhood and know of the guy that this happened too. Racism is alive and well in Boston. I can tell you that much. It is a fact. It runs deep.

I can believe that what happened could have been out of line. But was it really? Did the cops attitude and demeanor reflect something that we were not privy to see? Could have happened. yes, the cop was in his right. But also they can use their own discretion. This guy is an articulate, well dressed, middle aged man. Did the cop really think he was suspicious? If he was a white middle aged professor very well spoken would the cop have been so "by the book"? or ascertained by talking to him that it was his house?

Also, the guy just got off a plane from China and found out he was locked out of his house. He was probably not in the best of moods. Not an excuse for his behavoir but a reason. It was an unfortunate occurance but only two people were there and really know the tone of the conversation.

Me too. Infact i've had my neighbour text me before at work saying there was someone ringing my bell and was i expecting someone?, so i replied and said no, so if he didn't mind asking him what he wants?!.

Fortunately i live in a cul de sac with several police officers, so everyone takes note if a stranger comes in or a strange car.

As for the police doing what they did, i'd cooperate with them and i'm sure the problem would be solved.

Here is the resolution of it all.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=8136760&page=1

Here, to me, is the important part.


Sounds about right. And the fact that Gates put his ok on that statement tells me the neighbors did witness it like the police said and they aren't backing up his side of the story.

I once had the police called on me for leaving my own home going out for a pack of smokes. In the tiny WI town of Montello. Had been living there 4 years. My neighbor/landlady (in a side by side duplex) went on vaccation, and her friends as suprise for her were having her living room remodled.
I left out the door, it was freezing drizzle and three steps onto the street (no sidewalks) I realized the shoes I was wearing did not have enough traction on the ice. So I went back in, changed my shoes, and set back out. Not even half way down the street, here comes a squad car rolling slow behind me, I looked back, but kept walking, it was night and with the headlights blinding me I couldn't even tell it was a police car, and why would I have stopped anyway? Then I get the loud speaker, in a nasty voice "Are you planning on stopping?" Now there were two squads. I of course stopped and asked what was wrong and got a barrage of nastyness. Who am I, what am I doing here, where do I live, etc etc. (all said dripping with venom) I answered all, even added the bit about my landlady being out of town and the supprise remodle, not good enough, and they would not let me go into my own house to get my ID, which I accidentally left on the coffee table. (I never leave without ID< anywhere) I had to give them my key while I stood in the freezing drizzle in front of one of the squads in the lights, for all on my block to see. Up to three squads now, for 20 minutes! It does not take that long to go in and grab an ID, so I am sure they had fun searching my house for whatever. As a fourth squad joined the party the two cops who went in finally came back out of my house, and said I could go, with out even so much as an appology as to completly humiliating me in front of my entire neighboorhood. It turns out the handyman doing the work called because he didn't recognize me. Well no freaking duh!!! You dont live here!!!!!
Was I mad, oh hell yes, at the handyman for calling, at the small town cops with their "I am better than anyone else on this planet" attitude. At the situation I was put into for daring to venture out my own front door.
The handyman did say he was sorry, and we actually became sort of friends as he continued to do work on the duplex, he said he never expected them to act the way they did.

Well, I'm glad Rosa Parks didn't take this approach...

It's possible both sides in this particular incident over-reacted. However, I'm not sure why Professor Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct. Clearly, at that point the police knew he wasn't guilty of B & E, so why arrest him? Was it because he was "disrespectful" to the police? Is that illegal? And if so, why did the city of Cambridge drop the charges so readily?

I stupidly set off my house alarm a few weeks ago. I went outside for the mail after sleeping late (due to a late trip). I didn't think about the alarm being set by my wife when she left for work.

By the time I realized it was MY alarm going off, the autodialer had already seized the line and called the alarm company, and they were calling me to confirm. I picked up the phone just as they hung up. I called them back and told them it was a false alarm, and called the police, but they said once they were dispatched, they had to show up and check.

When the police got there, he was suitably cautious and made me show him my ID (which included my driver's license with this address on it), and he took a quick look inside.

It sounds to me like the professor was already upset about having to break in his own house, and took it out on the officer. Very bad idea.

Rosa Parks' situation was entirely different.

I'm not drawing an analogy between Rosa Parks and Professor Gates.

Anyway, I agree that arguing with a police officer isn't always wise. Does that mean that someone who *does* dare to argue deserves to be arrested? Some may think so, but I don't. I think the cop over-reacted just as much as the professor, maybe even more so, probably because he was angry.

I was taught very early on that it is the height of stupidity to cross anyone with a badge, a gun, and a radio to call more people with badges and guns. Do your arguing later in court, where someone might actually care about your opinion.

I admit that if I found myself in a situation like this, I probably would have behaved a bit differently.

However, I don't think a badge and a gun give a police officer the right to arrest a citizen - a citizen already determined to be the resident in his own home - for disagreeing or failing to show deference. As Spiderman likes to say, with great power (e.g. badge and gun) comes great responsibility. The police officer shouldn't have reacted out of anger and gotten into some kind of pi$$ing contest with Dr. Gates.

If you listen to the story from the officer (backed up by some neighbors who were witness to this) he did more then argue. He yelled (even though he later said he couldn't yell because of a throat infection) and followed the officer out the door. Yelling things at him and harrassing him.

I know the two stories are like night and day, but the more I hear from Gates the less I believe his story. I saw one interview with him and all through his story he keeps putting thoughts into Crowleys head. Things like "And I knew exactly what he was thinking, I was a black man in a white man's house." Sounds to me like the man had a huge chip on his shoulder and after a long trip and a door that wouldn't open he let it all loose on the policeman. Which is never a good idea.

When a policeman asks you to do something, like step outside or show your ID you do it. Period.

Now Gates is talking about writing a documentary about his 'horrible experience'. Right.

And now Obama has stepped in this huge pile. THAT wasn't smart. He shouldn't have touched that question with a 10 foot pole.

I'm so sick of people pulling the "race card!"

Here are the facts:

1. He was "breaking" into his house.

2. A neighbour who didn't know who the guy was, called the police.

3. The police responded and wanted to make sure the guy in the house was who he claimed to be, so to do that they need to see identification.

He should be thankful that the neighbour was concerned enough to call the police.

He should be thankful that the police who responded to the call wanted to make sure that he was actually the person who lived there and not some burglar who claimed to live there.

Now, the fact that this incident prompted a response from the President is completely and totally ridiculous!

The guy completely over reacted. If I were the police I wouldn't apologize either. They were simply doing their job and protecting the guys property.

Shame one the idiot for making this into a racial affair!!!

Linda, I know we don't always agree, but I'm with you 100% on this one. He took a legitimate situation and turned it into a race issue. I too, am sick to death of people pulling the race card. As I said before, yes there is racism out there but to deliberately incite it - shame on you.

I've been at parties where the police were called and I can tell you from first-hand experience that if you don't mouth off, get an attitude, and treat them with respect, they in turn will treat you with respect.

In my opinion this man's actions took away his professional status and makes him look less than educated.

Has anyone clicked on the image in that article to enlarge it? You'll notice that one of the officers on the scene is black! I suppose he's a racist?

I can tell you that the cop was upset that Mr. Gates was asserting his rights as an American. When you are in your own home you don't have to let the cop inside, he asked him for his police number and name and the cop took exception to this. When the cop persisted in asking Mr. Gates for an i.d he showed him his Harvard id and his liscense to end the question of whether this was his home or not. Than asked AGAIN for the cops i.d. (as is his right) he STILL wouldn't show him his name and number.

I would be irate also if I was minding my own business IN MY OWN HOME and some HIGH AND MIGHTY cop comes along and treats me like an inferior human! IN MY OWN HOME! It sounds like the cop was being arrogant and speaking from experiance I know how they can be nasty to you because you are asserting your rights and they just want you to bow down to them. He arrested him out of spite not for any legitimate reason.

It is fine for him to investigate the call of a "possible" break-in in progress. It his job, we all know that. But when he rings the doorbell and this middle aged guy comes to the door that REASON tells you could quite possible actually live here you tell them you got a call about a break in and need to see some id, if they ask you for id it is there right and also for their safety (this guy could have been a scam artist) than they can show you their id to put the matter to rest about the "break in".

Common sense would tell you that this man was not breaking in to the home and therefore he should have conducted himself as a public servant and not as a law enforcer as it was obvious that there was no law being broken. As a public servant you conduct yourself in a more respectful manner than if you are dealing with an actual criminal. The fact he didn't speaks to the reason why Professor Gates would think he was treating him as an inferior human being and asked him if he was treating him in such a manner because he was black. If it was a white middle aged professor type looking man that answered the door would the cop have given him attitude or would common sense have told him that this man could quite possibly live here and he should conduct himself accordingly??

I would probably have been loud and agitated also if I was arrested in the manner Prof. Gates was and under those circumstances. It was uncalled for. The fact that the charges were dropped proved that it shouldn't have happened and was an ABUSE of power which I think goes to prove that this cop was as Prof. Gates says he was. He was right to question him and his motives because how the cop handled this situation by arresting him shows what he is capable of. As a black man in America you learn to protect yourself and go on the offensive because abuses of power happen all the time. The cop proved Prof. Gates distrust of him was justified!!

Let me guess. The people who are sick of people pulling the "race card" are white. Let me tell you, it is a fact that it still exist. I can also tell you from experiance of living in this area of Boston/Cambridge my whole life that it is alive and well here. I can't speak for other areas but I do know this one.

Who or what were they protecting when they arrested him for disorderly conduct on his own front porch?

I don't know what was in the police officer's heart when he first came to the door, but the way he ultimately chose to deal with the situation was out of line.

As for Gates's actions, as I stated earlier, I would probably have reacted differently, but you know what? I'm a woman, and I'm white. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to realize that a black man in America might have something different running through his mind when a police officer shows up at his house!

The President is having a bad week. He admitted publicly that he didn't know about a very important section of the House Health Reform bill (section 102, which, like most bills, is less than clear and seems to prohibit individual health insurance after 2013), and then he stated before the whole nation that the Cambridge police acted "stupidly."

He is going to have to spend a week on the phone personally apologizing to police chiefs around the country, or risk losing the support of their very important union.

Attitude (on both parts) plays the major role here. Mr. Gates had attitude and ticked off the officer who probably has to deal with great amounts of attitude on an hourly basis so I don't blame the officer at all. If Mr. Gates has simply cooperated there would not have been an issue, but because he is black he made the decision to make a "statement". That's pulling the race card and shame on him.

Its the officers job to cope with people. It is not okay to take away a persons rights because you don't like their attitude. What is this? China? Korea? Since when is demanding your rights not okay? Being a woman if a police officer shows up at my door I am going to demand some id also and he better show it! It is just not a safe world, even from people who are supposed to protect us. People with a history of being abused by people in power and treated unjustly have an obligation to themselves to look out for THEIR own safety. That includes people of certain races and also woman.

It was Prof. Gate's right for the officer to show him his id and give him his name and number. Again, what country is this? A police officer shows up at your door you have a right to see his i.d.-more than he does yours! Even after Gate's gave him his i.d. he still refused to give him his. How is this acceptable? Gate's cooperated, he didn't have to do so SILENTLY. Now your playing the race card by saying that BECAUSE HE IS BLACK HE IS CHOOSING TO MAKE A STATEMENT. Anyone who has their rights refused and witnesses an abuse of power has every right to make it known to the public and demand justice!!

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. I totally support police because I have had a couple friends on the police force and know the kind of nonsense they have to put up with and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Its about professionalism. If you don't want to put up with irate people be a massage therapist or some other profession.

But I thought I would give everyone a good link to an article on what are people's rights by law. Especially Massachusetts law. Its a good article and not very long. Not bias opinion either.

http://www.slate.com/id/2223379/?GT1=38001

Last night Pres. Obama said he thought the police were in the wrong, from what he knew.The man in question (Prof) is a friend/aquaintance. I believe Obama said he did not yet have all the facts, but let's face it he has the power to get all the facts and probably has them.

Enough for me.

From The London Times (online) (timesonline.co/uk)

Mr Gates was handcuffed with his hands behind his back, despite being handicapped and requiring the use of a cane, and spent four hours in police custody before being released. He was accused of "tumultuous behaviour" but the charges were soon dropped._______________________________________________________________________

I don't know too many robber guys, but I doubt many use a cane! However it might come in handy with breaking a window!

If you read the link above you will see why its an issue. No one is saying the cop shouldn't have been there investigating the call of a "possible" break in.

But if someone is in a home no cop has the right to treat them as if they are a criminal. It is the law. At the point they met the cop was just "investigating" the call. Gates didn't even have to let him in the door but he did. Is that something someone who is in the middle of a break in would do?

Most criminals wouldn't answer the front door. Do alot of middle aged professional men break into homes on a busy street in broad daylight, than answer the front door?? His experiance as a cop should have told him that this man more than likely was the homeowner. Being mouthy and questioning a cop who is in your home last time I checked isn't a crime. Which it seems is what people are faulting Gates for.

Giving Prof. Gates demeanor as frustrated the cop should have just given him his name and number and gotten his id info and left. But he disobeyed the law and disrespected a tax paying citizen by not doing so. Causing Prof. Gate's to be outraged at his blatant disregard for his rights to know his name and badge number. Why did the cop disregard the law and the citizens right to know his badge number????

Than he proceeded to bend the law of disorderly conduct to suit his needs (which is why it was later dropped because there is no legal leg to stand on) to arrest the Prof. Why?? When the whole reason Gates followed him out there to begin with was to get his badge number which is his right by law. He used the oppurtunity as a way to be spiteful and arrest the Prof. in my opinion.

Not only that but even after he identified himself as being a professor at Harvard and owner of the home the cop still wouldn't give his badge number. Why? It is the law. He should have been nonplussed about Prof. Gates wanting to see his badge for his name and number. But he wasn't, why? Is it because "how dare this guy speak to me in that tone and demand this of me" because I am a cop? It is his right by law to be able to demand it of him.

Absolutely! And Obama should have kept his trap shut and his opinion to himself on this one.

I agree wholeheartedly! We pretend to love Democracy here (many, not all) yet we honor, applaud even the ways of the old Eastern Bloc nations!-SAD!