Profiling Charge In Black Scholar's Arrest

(AP)  Police responding to a call about "two black males" breaking into a home near Harvard University ended up arresting the man who lives there - Henry Louis Gates Jr., the nation's pre-eminent black scholar.

Gates had forced his way through the front door because it was jammed, his lawyer said. Colleagues call the arrest last Thursday afternoon a clear case of racial profiling.

Cambridge police say they responded to the well-maintained two-story home after a woman reported seeing "two black males with backpacks on the porch," with one "wedging his shoulder into the door as if he was trying to force entry."

By the time police arrived, Gates was already inside. Police say he refused to come outside to speak with an officer, who told him he was investigating a report of a break-in.

"Why, because I'm a black man in America?" Gates said, according to a police report written by Sgt. James Crowley. The Cambridge police refused to comment on the arrest Monday.

Gates - the director of Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research - initially refused to show the officer his identification, but then gave him a Harvard University ID card, according to police.

"Gates continued to yell at me, accusing me of racial bias and continued to tell me that I had not heard the last of him," the officer wrote.

Gates said he turned over his driver's license and Harvard ID - both with his photos - and repeatedly asked for the name and badge number of the officer, who refused. He said he then followed the officer as he left his house onto his front porch, where he was handcuffed in front of other officers, Gates said in a statement released by his attorney, fellow Harvard scholar Charles Ogletree, on a Web site Gates oversees, TheRoot.com

He was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after police said he "exhibited loud and tumultuous behavior." He was released later that day on his own recognizance. An arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 26.

Gates, 58, also refused to speak publicly Monday, referring calls to Ogletree.

"He was shocked to find himself being questioned and shocked that the conversation continued after he showed his identification," Ogletree said.

Ogletree declined to say whether he believed the incident was racially motivated, saying "I think the incident speaks for itself."

Some of Gates' African-American colleagues say the arrest is part of a pattern of racial profiling in Cambridge.

Allen Counter, who has taught neuroscience at Harvard for 25 years, said he was stopped on campus by two Harvard police officers in 2004 after being mistaken for a robbery suspect. They threatened to arrest him when he could not produce identification.

"We do not believe that this arrest would have happened if professor Gates was white," Counter said. "It really has been very unsettling for African-Americans throughout Harvard and throughout Cambridge that this happened."

The Rev. Al Sharpton is vowing to attend Gates' arraignment.

"This arrest is indicative of at best police abuse of power or at worst the highest example of racial profiling I have seen," Sharpton said. "I have heard of driving while black and even shopping while black but now even going to your own home while black is a new low in police community affairs."

Ogletree said Gates had returned from a trip to China on Thursday with a driver, when he found his front door jammed. He went through the back door into the home - which he leases from Harvard - shut off an alarm and worked with the driver to get the door open. The driver left, and Gates was on the phone with the property's management company when police first arrived.

Ogletree also disputed the claim that Gates, who was wearing slacks and a polo shirt and carrying a cane, was yelling at the officer.

"He has an infection that has impacted his breathing since he came back from China, so he's been in a very delicate physical state," Ogletree said.

Lawrence D. Bobo, the W.E.B Du Bois Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard, said he met with Gates at the police station and described his colleague as feeling humiliated and "emotionally devastated."

"It's just deeply disappointing but also a pointed reminder that there are serious problems that we have to wrestle with," he said.

Bobo said he hoped Cambridge police would drop the charges and called on the department to use the incident to review training and screening procedures it has in place.

The Middlesex district attorney's office said it could not do so until after Gates' arraignment. The woman who reported the apparent break-in did not return a message Monday.

Gates joined the Harvard faculty in 1991 and holds one of 20 prestigious "university professors" positions at the school. He also was host of "African American Lives," a PBS show about the family histories of prominent U.S. blacks, and was named by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential Americans in 1997.

"I was obviously very concerned when I learned on Thursday about the incident," Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust said in a statement. "He and I spoke directly and I have asked him to keep me apprised."

[getrealrealfast]

The officer had not seen the Id from Gates until after he had been called a racist. When an officer asks for your ID you give it to him and respect the danger of his/her job. After the police were through dealing with the professor with a racial chip on his shoulder, they were followed and harassed on the porch. They did what they did because the guy was being an idiot. The only racially motivated action was by the professor who was calling a police officer doing his job a racist.


Obama acted stupidly by addressing the situation the way he did.

[getrealrealfast]

The officer had not seen the Id from Gates until after he had been called a racist. When an officer asks for your ID you give it to him and respect the danger of his/her job. After the police were through dealing with the professor with a racial chip on his shoulder, they were followed and harassed on the porch. They did what they did because the guy was being an idiot. The only racially motivated action was by the professor who was calling a police officer doing his job a racist.


Obama acted stupidly by addressing the situation the way he did.

[MzSoniaV]

Neither is faultless, the cop out to prove a point, or the little man with an attitude. My point, as a minority (Hispanic) is that among my fellow African Americans, the race card is to loosely dropped, it's like act now and ask questions later, the truth is irrelevant , and as the media scrambles to find dirt on the current HOT issue, racism and profiling enters the picture. Whether right or wrong, the race card now becomes the story, the catalyst for those ill informed to exercise their aggression on anyone. It?s not the fact that the race card is dragged into the lives of those of us who read/live among the African American community, or the fact that every time RACE is a hot issue, tension and minor scuffles occur among poor
Neighborhoods. What bothers me the most is that my African-American neighbors aren?t angry about what happened, they?re just angry. If a brother goes free, even tho he?s guilty, in my neck of the woods you can hear, horns blasting and yelling, in celebration not for justice but for an ill concept that they won...as we saw in the OJ case.

svivar9087

[stormyyyyyyy]

I was not at the scene but I will tell you that if I'm stopped by the police and I give them any kind of attitude, or act in a disordily fashion, trouble (for me) always ensues. There are some "types" of people who will always feel singled out and I belive that professor Gates is one of those types.

I like president Obama, and I feel that he is truly trying to create a better America, but in this case I feel he "spoke stupidly".

[honzilla3]

This guy seems like a complete pansy and prima donna to me - while it's certainly true that racial profiling and prejudice DO exist, I have to say very clearly that I have had EXACTLY the same treatment at the hands of Police Offices, and I'm a toal W.A.S.P., lol! last year I was enjoying an intimate picnic lunch in braod daylight in alocal town squere and was essentially assauled and humi,lited very publicly because they "thoguht" that I was a wanted carjacker. Trust me, it absolutely DOES happen to all of us. I got angry too.. to nno vail, and my undeerstanding is that they have every legal right and I had no recourse. Looking back, my mistake was getting upset rather than cooperating. Sounds like that was this Henry's problem too! maybe we've been in the old ivory tower a wee bit too long, eh, LOL?

It's very easy to get accustomed to beign treted with kid gloves and having authority, gravitas and prestige.. (heck, look at the COPS, lol - they're totally used to it)

Granted that it seems unfair and is decidedly NOT fun; but is it necessarily "racist"? No - I don't think so in this instance.

I think it's more to do with being male and having testosterone,actually... Good luck.

[honzilla3]

This guy seems like a complete pansy and prima donna to me - while it's certainly true that racial profiling and prejudice DO exist, I have to say very clearly that I have had EXACTLY the same treatment at the hands of Police Offices, and I'm a toal W.A.S.P., lol! last year I was enjoying an intimate picnic lunch in braod daylight in alocal town squere and was essentially assauled and humi,lited very publicly because they "thoguht" that I was a wanted carjacker. Trust me, it absolutely DOES happen to all of us. I got angry too.. to nno vail, and my undeerstanding is that they have every legal right and I had no recourse. Looking back, my mistake was getting upset rather than cooperating. Sounds like that was this Henry's problem too! maybe we've been in the old ivory tower a wee bit too long, eh, LOL?

It's very easy to get accustomed to beign treted with kid gloves and having authority, gravitas and prestige.. (heck, look at the COPS, lol - they're totally used to it)

Granted that it seems unfair and is decidedly NOT fun; but is it necessarily "racist"? No - I don't think so in this instance.

I think it's more to do with being male and having testosterone,actually... Good luck.

[dgs6812]

I don't care if he was white, black, yellow or purple & I'm sure the police officer feels the same. He treated the police officer with no respect. He should be thankful that: 1) he has a neighbor who reported seeing something suspicious; 2) that the police bothered to come check it out. He should be appreciative and offer the police officer an apology for playing the race card and for being a pompous a**!

[Illuminated1]

This is what should have happened...
Police investigate a break in by unknown individuals reported to be black.
Police show up, find the home with a broken door, and someone claiming to live there inside.
They identify themselves and ask the same from the resident.
They offer an apology for the inconvenience and explain that a report indicated that 2 black men wearing backpacks were seen.
They all have a laugh about it and leave with the resident smiling.

END OF STORY.

[gp-usa]

What will he use as an excuse when/if his house gets broken into for real and the neighbors DON'T call the police? I would not call if I saw it happening, not now.

[Uncle_Eccoli]

This looks very bad for blacks in America. This is behaviour one would expect from a lowlife petty criminal trying to divert attention from his illegal activities. This man, however, must have previously been considered an example who ought to be above such juvenile, self-absorbed shenanigans.

[chitown639]

Well, since you believe it's fair game to elevate Professor Gates to the role of representing ALL blacks in America. Then perhaps you won't mind that we elevate the those racists cops to representing ALL whites in America.....this looks very bad for WHITES in America........

[Uncle_Eccoli]

I didn't say Gates represented all blacks, you said I did. But you're right, no way he should've been looked up to, holding advanced degrees, teaching at a prestigious university - acting all white like that.

Before this incident, I might have held him up as an example for my own child - learned, successful, etc. You betray your own feelings.