12 Picked to Review Gates Arrest

Twelve people from across the country have been chosen to serve on an independent panel to review the arrest of a black Harvard scholar at his home by a white police officer, Cambridge officials said Thursday.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Police Executive Research Forum, was tapped to lead a committee that will include Yale Law professor Tracey Meares, former FBI assistant director Louis Quijas and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

City leaders created the panel after the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. triggered a national debate over racial profiling.

Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley arrested Gates for disorderly conduct at his home July 16 while investigating a possible burglary. The charge was dropped, and Gates alleged he was a victim of racial profiling.

President Barack Obama invited Crowley and Gates for an informal "beer summit" at the White House two weeks later.

"This is a historic opportunity for the city to emerge as a stronger community," Cambridge City Manager Robert Healy said in a statement.

Healy said panel members were chosen based on their diverse professional backgrounds and their experience with community relations and conflict resolution.

Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas said the newly named panel will give an "independent assessment" of the July 16 arrest.

"Cambridge wants to take away something meaningful from this process that can be helpful for the city and the nation," Haas said.

The committee is scheduled to meet for the first time early next month. It's unclear how long its review will take.

[woeisme1]

I think race was an issue in this case. But I think Gates perhaps started it and the officer finished it.

Why they have formed a panal to investigate this is beyond me. The whole country knows that we have a real issue with racism. Just look at the trolls on these boards.

The republican party today is as racist as it ever was.

[spiritwalk]

If you are the alternative then I will become a Republican.

[bytheway59]

all the white supremists are awake.

i wrote in mid july that sgt. crowley's career is over, the Mayor of Cambridge nor the Govenor of Massachusettes did not support the police in this incident.


It has always been and always will be that 'he' in power has the greatest responisbility and crowly proved himself to be infantile.

to often police act with indifference to the laws they are charged with upholding and enforcing. there are three great examples of police misconduct at play in the Minneapolis Metro area; the gang strike force, the beating of a motorist by 6 police officers and the abuse by the Goldern Valley police about one year ago. In GV there was a report of a convience store robbery, the suspect a small white man. the GV police pulled over a large black man near the convience store and beat him sensless, he has brain damage for the rest of his life. the city of Golden Valley paid more than 1 miilion dollars and the police have never admitted they made a mistake.

Now why are We the People to have unconditional respect for peace officers with this kind of behavior, their inability to admit being human and the posibility of error?

[Ace22257]

The only racist in this incident was/is Henry Gates. It was GAtes that played the race card not the arresting police officer. People are getting a little fed up with the black race crying racism every chance they get over nothing.....

[sightpoint]

Not to change the subject but to emphasize how stupid this all is; consider the following. A 28 year old pastor was shot to death by two guys in plain clothes who turned out to be under-cover cops at a Georgia gas station because he didn't stop when they jumped out of a truck pointing guns at him (I wouldn't either:I would have ran them over to keep from getting shot). They didn't find any drugs or anything wrong with him so they put the cops on Paid leave until it all blows over. The whole thing is on the stores video. Nothing was really in the news and there was no follow up. [cnn.com has the best story/w video] The pastor was a young white guy and no one cares. This guy is a high profile black prof and the president got involved. All they did was arrest him. I would hate to see what would have happened if they killed him and put the cops on paid vacation, then said "sorry 'bout that". So let's forget this spoiled silver spoon ass and look up the dead white guy if we need a "cause".

[White_Duck]

IF there was any "profiling" done, it was by the Professor. You can be sure that had the Officers been black, this story would never have gotten past the College newsrag. Blacks demand equality and reparation, the drop the "Race Card" at the drop of a hat to cover their selves. The Police were doing their job, checking on a possible burglary in progress. It is sad it escalated any further than that.

[rhs648]

Wasn't the whole purpose of the meeting over beer at the White House to foster better feelings between Gates and the police officer. Now a panel from around the United States will investigate the arrest. It looks like the police officer might be hung out to dry. So much for the monumental beer fest at the White House.

[ROBACA]

So wish this story would go away. If Gates hadn't insisted on acting like a "donkey" this would never have made the news. Gates is supposedly educated and intelligent; now he should prove that he is. Yelling and acting crazy won't get you anywhere no matter what color you are.

[BeckieBest]

Gates is an idiot with a giant ego and an even bigger chip on his shoulder.