Even if Henry Louis Gates' Arresting Officer Is Right, He Was Wrong
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Assume for a moment that Cambridge Police Officer James Crowley is telling the absolute truth in his incident report and subsequent press appearances and that Henry Louis Gates is lying about the events that led to the Harvard professor's arrest. Assume for a moment that when Crowley showed up at Gates' home, Gates was belligerent, angry, immediately started in on race and racism and made a "your mama" comment. Assume that he spouted inanities to the effect that Crowley didn't know who he was "messing" with. Assume that when Crowley, satisfied that Gates did in fact live in the home and so was in fact not burglarizing it, started to leave Gates kept yelling at him.
Even if all of that is true ... Crowley was still wrong arresting Gates. "The professor at any time could have resolved the issue by quieting down and/or going back inside the house," Crowley said in a radio interview. Maybe so. But Crowley could also have resolved by rolling his eyes at the cranky--but not criminal--professor, getting back in his car and driving away.
There are undoubtedly times when a police officer needs to restrain someone who is genuinely being disorderly in a way that could pose a threat to himself, the officer or the community. But no one can plausibly argue that this was such an instance. And neither disliking someone's attitude nor their tone of voice is good reason to cuff them and take them downtown.
And that's all assuming that this Cambridge Community Theatre version of Rashomon is one-sided (Crowley is completely right, Gates is completely wrong), which strains credulity.
Police officers do a tough and important job. But part of that job includes knowing when to be the grownup and walk away.
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- Who is right--Gates or the arresting officer?
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Reader Comments
The Arrest
The problem here is race, if we: you and me immediately start screaming that we are abused by someone who is not the skin texture as us. Then yes we, the people are race motived. It is not right in my opion to think like that. Why do people do it? Convince is the reason. Why conform and get along. When we can make a statement. It does not matter that we have fasely accused someone of something they did not do. It only matters that we are heard. Perhaps this is a little brutal.And just maybe if I were in Gates shoes I might have reacted like him??? No, Not going to happen. A police office question me my response is going to be Yes Sir, No Sir. 1) They have a gun. 2) They are there to help. And this is a learning situation for Mr Gates and President Obama.
The Gates Affair
Are all these so-called commentators xenophobes or lack the ability to reason. How many theives, especially black ones, who break into a house, take a seat, and don't bother to run away when an armed white police officer turns up? Has any one thought of that? That is where Crowley, in all his intelligence and experience, if he had them, should have known that the person in the house could not have been a burglar, because a burglar would have made a run for it. America, with one of the best universities in the world, and highly educated population, seem always to think myopically and look at the race of the Victim (Gates) when there is confrontation with with a white police officer. When will you people learn? Or prejudice is so embedded in your psych or its innate that you can never believe any other race when they claim to be aggrieved, except a white one
Tony of IN
Tony of IN Please more carefully before you respond. The person writing the article says he did his job in investigating who was in the home. However, once Prof. Gates identified himself, it was over. No one from what I've read even in the comments has suggested that Officer Crowley was incorrect for questioning Mr. Gates based on the information reported to the police. Mr. Crowley did what he was supposed to do. The breakdown came when he refused to provide his name and badge # upon request and to not leave once it was established whose home it was. As someone who works with police experts across routinely in my work as a civil rights advocate, trust me I've spoken to several experts who say Crowley although not a bad cop escalated something well within his control. He should have provided his name and badge and said excuse the intrustion sir and good day. BAM over. This is all that appears to be criticized here. Officer Crowley I'm sure is a good guy... but he needs to provide his name and # when asked - that's basic police standards 101.
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