Cambridge Cops Want Obama Apology

(CBS/AP)  Last updated at 6:45 p.m. EDT
A multiracial group of police officers on Friday stood with the white officer who arrested a prominent black Harvard scholar and asked President Barack Obama and Gov. Deval Patrick to apologize for comments the union leaders called insulting.

Mr. Obama said Wednesday that Cambridge police "acted stupidly" during the disorderly conduct arrest of his friend, Henry Louis Gates Jr., in his own home near Harvard University. Patrick said Gates' arrest was "every black man's nightmare."

Police union officials called on both leaders to apologize, calling their remarks insulting.

"We hope they will reflect on their past comments and apologize to the Cambridge Police Department," said Dennis O'Connor, president of the Cambridge Police Superior Officers Association.

Hours later, Mr. Obama interrupted the White House press briefing to announce he had spoken to Crowley and said it was unfortunate that his comments had inflamed the situation.

But while Mr. Obama said he "could have calibrated his words differently," he stopped short of apologizing for his remarks.

He called Crowley a "good man" and said the incident was likely an "overreaction" on the part of both Gates and Crowley.

O'Connor said earlier said Mr. Obama's remarks were "misdirected" and the Cambridge police "deeply resent the implication" that race was a factor in the arrest.

"President Obama said the actions of the CPD were stupid and linked the event to the history of racial profiling in America," O'Connor said. "The facts of the case suggested that the president used the right adjective but directed it to the wrong party."

A black police officer who was at Gates' home when he was arrested said he fully supports how his Crowley handled the situation.

Sgt. Leon Lashley said Gates was probably tired and surprised when Sgt. James Crowley demanded identification from him as officers investigated a report of a burglary. Lashley says Gates' reaction to Crowley was "a little bit stranger than it should have been."

Gates has said he was the victim of racial profiling, but when asked if Gates should have been arrested, Lashley said supported Crowley "100 percent."

Lashley called Mr. Obama's remark "unfortunate" and said he should be allowed to take it back.

Crowley was present at the news conference, but did not speak.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said earlier Friday that Mr. Obama "has said everything he's going to say" on the issue.

But Mr. Obama walked in on Gibbs' afternoon press briefing to discuss the matter further with the press.

CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer described the president coming to the briefing today as "extraordinary."

"What the president was saying today was that, yes, this incident should not have happened but he said his words basically had made it worse. Now, you just don't hear presidents say things like that very often and he didn't release a written statement. He came to the press room and he said it in person," Schieffer said. "Which tells you that he knew he had to get out there and get this thing cooled off before it blows into something, blows up into something that could bring everything around here [in Washington] to a halt for a while."

Officers responded to Gates' home on July 16 after a woman called 911 and said she saw two black men with backpacks trying to force open the front door. The woman, Lucia Whalen, has not responded to repeated attempts for comment.

Gates has said he returned from an overseas trip, found the door jammed, and that he and his driver attempted to force it open. Gates went through the back door and was inside the house on the phone with the property's management company when police arrived.

Police said he flew into a verbal rage after Crowley asked him to show identification to prove he should be in the home. Police say Gates accused Crowley of racial bias, refused to calm down and was arrested. The charge was dropped Tuesday, but Gates has demanded an apology, calling his arrest a case of racial profiling.

Gates, 58, maintains he turned over identification when asked to do so by the police. He said Crowley arrested him after the professor followed him to the porch, repeatedly demanding the sergeant's name and badge number because he was unhappy over his treatment.

Crowley has refused to apologize, saying he followed protocol.

In the wake of the controversy, Crowley has received consistent support from his fellow officers.

Patrolman Carlos Figueroa, who was also at the scene of the incident, said he and Crowley were investigating a report of a burglary at Gates' home near Harvard University, and they needed to be sure everyone was in the house legally. He said that's why Crowley asked Gates for his identification.

Figueroa said Gates shouted "No, I will not!" He also says Gates was shouting at Crowley, calling him a racist and saying, "This is what happens to black men in America!"

Figueroa told The Associated Press on Friday that he and Crowley did what they were supposed to do.

Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas, in his first public comments on the arrest, said Thursday that Crowley was a decorated officer who followed procedure. The department is putting together an independent panel to review the arrest, but Haas said he did not think the whole story had been told.

"Sgt. Crowley is a stellar member of this department. I rely on his judgment every day. ... I don't consider him a rogue cop in any way," Haas said. "I think he basically did the best in the situation that was presented to him."

Related Coverage:

Obama Calls Choice of Words on Gates "Unfortunate"

Cambridge Cops Want Obama Apology

White House: No More To Say On Gates

He said, He said Saga in Cambridge

Gates' Daughter Calls Crowley Uncooperative

Cambridge Cops Back Crowley

White House: Obama Didn't Call Officer Stupid

Prof. Gates, Cambridge and Racial Politics

Cop Who Cuffed Gates Tried to Save NBA Pro

Cambridge Cop: Gates' Arrest by the Book

Gates Devastated by Arrest, Says Daughter

Obama: Cops Acted "Stupidly" in Professor's Arrest

Black Professor Wants Apology over Arrest

Was Professor's Arrest 'Racial Profiling'?

Gates Speaks out about His Arrest

Charges Against Harvard Scholar Dropped

Profiling Charge In Black Scholar's Arrest

[caliguy55]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/13/national/main3824544.shtml

Cops dump crippled man out of wheel chair to search him. No, they surely are not perfect.

[rocketjl]

Livinontheedge, in case you missed it, Gates is black screaming racism, the mayor (boss of the police) is black, the governor is black, and the President who admitting really did not know the whole story-is black. It is pretty simple as to why the charges were dropped. If the police made the arrest based on the charges, they did not drop the charges. Just goes to show that if you scream race loud enough when you are wrong, you can get all the black people in power to yell race right along with you, even though it has to be clear that at the time of their actions, they did not have all the facts. Don't really know who you are talking to, we have a little more information of the situation. Who was screaming race, anyway???

[girlvoter7777777]

If what L Gates said was qualified as disorderly conduct, then most who posted here are even more out of order than Gates and due for worse. The ongoing negatives directed at Crowley and his buddies (both black & white) could have been avoided by simply leaving the house. Instead police unite, shoot photos together and foolishly demand for the president's apology. Most police don't belong on the street, must less given new tazer toys to play with, and the general public has had quite enough.

Meanwhile, we need a real definition of 'disorderly conduct' instead of the babel in police book regulations that are more confusing than the latest IRS tax forms.

[CiCiTexas]

Exactly what did you expect from Obama after learning of his church of choice? We can expect reverse racism for at least four years. People are angry, many people of all races, even African Americans who love peace, are angry. This is not the way we'd expect our President to behave. If the commander in chief needs to micromanage a local police dept. we've got a real problem and apologies are not going to erase this personal moment of insight we've been given.

[kjejj]

Once the identity of the individual was determined the police should have left EVEN IF THE INDIVIDUAL WAS PITCHING A HISSY FIT!

[DavidFromWI]

WHEN DID THE LEFT STOP STICKING UP FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS UNION MEMBER AVERAGE JOE AND PROTECT THE RICH WELL CONNECTED INSTEAD? Its so tragic that HERR PROFESSOR was arrested for what amounts to less of a crime than a parking ticket at Wally World. OH GOD that poor poor well connected, rich, I am friends with the most powerful man in the world professor. Sad thing is there are many people that are suffering at the hand of racism WHITE AND BLACK and this ELITIST SLOB thinks that HIS DOESN'T STINK? What do you suppose he wanted the poor slubs badge number and name for to send him a thank you card. I bet you dollars to doughnuts (no pun intended) it was to give to make sure this cop wised he never bothered such a superior man of letters. ABOUT RACE???? its about a professor that had to save face because his was plastered on the evening news and we CANT HAVE THAT!!!!!!We call the police heroes when they die in 9/11 or at a holocaust museum AS WE SHOULD but go agaist a well connected RICH POWERFUL CAN CALL CNN OR ABC OR CBS BECAUSE THEY KNOW ME or buddy Obama and some how its seen as the police officer was ABUSING HIS POWER??????OH sure I bet Gates wants to see if he can make this working stiffs job any more a nightmare. I guess the police and fire men are heroes until they go after a professor. IT NEVER WAS ABOUT THE PROFESSORS RACE BTWWhat VP of the networks did he KNOW and CALL to facilitate the OUTRAGE and HEADLINES.PIGS and SNOBS and I don't mean the police!!!!!!! I have sympathy for this cop and as much for every black man, woman and child that thinks they voted for change or that GATES has their best interest at heart.This is the wost case REAL ABUSE OF POWER in a generation and people are still rooting for the POWER?I would stand side by side with any man black or white but I have l ZERO respect for a man who claims to fight for the middle class but has such a knee jerk reaction AGAINST A POLICE OFFICER TO STICK UP FOR HIS IVY LEAGUE FRIEND. LEFT FOR THE LITTLE GUY? HA HA HA FRICKING HA. I want to vomit thinking about it.

[LogicinReason]

Could it just be an example of a Professor Gates acting like a jackass? I know its hard to believe--could it possible be? Could it just possibly be?? The cop (Sgt. James Crowley) was with another African American Cop (Sgt. Leon Lashly) and Latino cop
Patrolman (Carlos Figueroa) all on scene at the time of the arrest. They have all backed Sgt. James Crowley's actions during the arrest. Additionally, 16 years ago Gates gave mouth to mouth CPR to Reggie Lewis (African American) basketball player who had a heart attack in effort to save Lewis. Would a real racist give mouth to a black man to save him? ?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,?said Sgt. James Crowley, in an interview, said of the forward?s heart attack July 27, 1993, during an off-season practice at Brandeis University, where Crowley was a police officer."
"Lewis? widow, Donna Lewis, was floored to learn of a national debate on racism in America was the same man so determined to rescue her husband.
?That?s incredible,? Lewis, 44, exclaimed. ?It?s an unfortunate situation.?
Sgt. Crowley, also was appointed by his African American police chief to teach racial sensitivity profile classes. Crowley's (Black) police Chief speaks highly of Sgt. Crowley.
So here's the deal... This bull crap pulling the race card whenever your wrong and may happen to be black or a minority is GETTING OLD VERY FAST!!! This type of b.s. behavior that creates a back lash and pisses off people for being accused of things that are not true. And then if it is a real case of racism people may just think oh there it is again crying wolf. If you want people to be aware and on the side of your cause, DON'T cry racism anytime you Act like a Jerk! Maybe, just maybe the black professor Gates was acting like a JERK and told Sgt. Crowley, "I WILL NOT WILL NOT GIVE YOU MY ID" I know plenty of people any color white, red, green that they have gotten out of line, mouthed off and then they get arrested for acting like a jack ass.
Being a police office is a DANGEROUS job and you can get killed. How Would Gates like it if there is another call of a break-in and the cops think to heck with answering that call, I might get accused of racism. So guess what... your on your own..your going to claim racism anytime you feel like it ,well good luck protect yourself Jack Ass!
Also for the record, Asians get more discrimination in terms of passing tests in school on all levels from middle school to college and because of unfair quotas based on race that arbitrarily state there is already too many Asians that have passed a certain test..no more Asians will be accepted into the Magnet program classes or whatever higher learning program / class it is. I never hear Asians ******** and complaining. They just work harder!
Such as in the case the New Haven firefighters everyone should be classified as a random generated number.. then no one will know personal information in regard to their race (ethnicity), gender or age, if you pass the test you pass. If you dont pass... you dont. Because when ever you give special treatment to a certain ethnic group over another..News flash, that is racism!.
Go to LarryElder.com read his 32 points and learn about taking responsibility for your actions in life! Please! Many are Getting Sick and tired of all this complaining.. oh poor me everyone is against me. Give me a freebie cause Im of this race..
What A Bunch of BS! It?s Getting VERY Old!

[LogicinReason]

Could it just be an example of a Professor Gates acting like a jackass? I know its hard to believe--could it possible be? Could it just possibly be?? The cop (Sgt. James Crowley) was with another African American Cop (Sgt. Leon Lashly) and Latino cop
Patrolman (Carlos Figueroa) all on scene at the time of the arrest. They have all backed Sgt. James Crowley's actions during the arrest. Additionally, 16 years ago Gates gave mouth to mouth CPR to Reggie Lewis (African American) basketball player who had a heart attack in effort to save Lewis. Would a real racist give mouth to a black man to save him? ?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,?said Sgt. James Crowley, in an interview, said of the forward?s heart attack July 27, 1993, during an off-season practice at Brandeis University, where Crowley was a police officer."
"Lewis? widow, Donna Lewis, was floored to learn of a national debate on racism in America was the same man so determined to rescue her husband.
?That?s incredible,? Lewis, 44, exclaimed. ?It?s an unfortunate situation.?
Sgt. Crowley, also was appointed by his African American police chief to teach racial sensitivity profile classes. Crowley's (Black) police Chief speaks highly of Sgt. Crowley.
So here's the deal... This bull crap pulling the race card whenever your wrong and may happen to be black or a minority is GETTING OLD VERY FAST!!! This type of b.s. behavior that creates a back lash and pisses off people for being accused of things that are not true. And then if it is a real case of racism people may just think oh there it is again crying wolf. If you want people to be aware and on the side of your cause, DON'T cry racism anytime you Act like a Jerk! Maybe, just maybe the black professor Gates was acting like a JERK and told Sgt. Crowley, "I WILL NOT WILL NOT GIVE YOU MY ID" I know plenty of people any color white, red, green that they have gotten out of line, mouthed off and then they get arrested for acting like a jack ass.
Being a police office is a DANGEROUS job and you can get killed. How Would Gates like it if there is another call of a break-in and the cops think to heck with answering that call, I might get accused of racism. So guess what... your on your own..your going to claim racism anytime you feel like it ,well good luck protect yourself Jack Ass!
Also for the record, Asians get more discrimination in terms of passing tests in school on all levels from middle school to college and because of unfair quotas based on race that arbitrarily state there is already too many Asians that have passed a certain test..no more Asians will be accepted into the Magnet program classes or whatever higher learning program / class it is. I never hear Asians ******** and complaining. They just work harder!
Such as in the case the New Haven firefighters everyone should be classified as a random generated number.. then no one will know personal information in regard to their race (ethnicity), gender or age, if you pass the test you pass. If you dont pass... you dont. Because when ever you give special treatment to a certain ethnic group over another..News flash, that is racism!.
Go to LarryElder.com read his 32 points and learn about taking responsibility for your actions in life! Please! Many are Getting Sick and tired of all this complaining.. oh poor me everyone is against me. Give me a freebie cause Im of this race..
What A Bunch of BS! It?s Getting VERY Old!

[John_Merritt]

Wouldn't it be funny if two months down the road, all the 'players/actors' looked in the camera and said, "It was staged?"

This story has more legs than most stories of recent times. When the news first came out here on CBS, there was NEVER ANY MENTION of Mr. Gates even being in his home, and/or the officer being there either. It was reported that the officer 'found the suspect' breaking into his home and did not have appropriate ID.

As the story unfolds, we are finding more and more of what should have been printed in the FIRST PLACE. It would be nice if the news media's would stop giving us half facts or partial truth before they publish things. What do you think?

[quickly101]

Mr. Obama should step up and be a man and apologize to the police officer, the police community. He was wrong to jump into the fray not knowing all the facts. He is the president for all the people and I would like to remind him he is one half white, something he rarely acknowledges I think some blacks are so paranoid about the slavery issue they look for the slightest provocation to scream racism. I readily admit racial profiling has existed, but the facts need to be ascertained first and then the people responsible for leadership should administer the proper punishment. The president acted before he thought and I hope this is not indicative of how he will lead this country.