Cop Refuses To Apologize for Arrest of Gates

[bonnie]

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/200...ize.html?csp=34

Odd Obama wasn't there admitted he didn't know what happened yet knew enough to label the cop as behaving stupidly

Cop in Gates arrest says he will not apologize

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Q1X00137_9 The Cambridge police officer at the center of the controversy over the arrest of a black Harvard professor says he will not apologize for the incident, the Boston media report.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct at his home near Harvard last week after a neighbor called in a report of a possible break-in. Gates, who was returning from a trip abroad, and his driver, had been trying to force open a front door.

The professor eventually got inside, by using a back door, when police arrived. The police report indicates that a heated exchange occurred although Gates showed his Harvard ID police allege that Gates initially refused to identify himself. In any case, Gates was handcuffed and arrested, although charges were later dropped.

Gates, 58, who charges that the arrest was racially motivated, has demanded that the police officer, Sgt. James Crowley, apologize for the incident. USA TODAY reports that the incident has ignited a long-simmering national debate over racial profiling.

Q1X00080_9 Crowley, in an exclusive interview with the Boston Herald, says he harbors no “ill feelings toward the professor” but will not apologize.

“I just have nothing to apologize for,” he tells the Herald. “It will never happen.”

The Boston Globe reports that Crowley says Gates' arrest was not racially motivated. "I am not a racist," The Globe quotes the officer as saying.

The paper says Crowley had no comment to President Obama's statement last night that the policeman acted "stupidly" in arresting Gates in his own home.

The Globe also reports that a Cambridge police union expressed "full and unqualified support" for Crowley.

Update at 10:20 a.m. ET: Crowley gives a long interview this morning with WEEI, a Boston sport radio station, in which he offers more details about the incident.

Click here to listen to the entire interview.

He tells The Dennis & Callahan Morning Show that Gates refused to answer whether there was someone in the house with him. He also says he asked Gates to step outside for the officer's "own safety."

Crowley tells WEEI that Gates was very upset from the beginning. "It's not just what he said, but how he said it. It was somewhat peculiar."

The police officer says he asked Gates for a driver's license even after seeing his Harvard ID because the university document does not include an address, which would have verified that Gates was, in fact, in his own home.

Crowley says that Gates followed him outside and continued to speak loudly and that the officer twice warned him about possible arrest, the second time while holding a pair of handcuffs.

He tells WEEI that arresting Gates was "something I really didn't want to do."

As for President Obama's comments on the incident, Crowley says it is "disappointing that he waded into what should be a local issue."

Update at 10:52 a.m. ET: The Boston Globe initially offered a link on Monday to the original Cambridge police report, however it was only up for a short time. Click here to view the report. This link has been provided by two conservative websites, the media watchdog group called NewsBusters and View from the Right.

Update at 11:53 a.m. ET: The AP reports that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who is black, said he was troubled and upset over the incident. Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons, who also is black, has said she spoke with Gates and apologized on behalf of the city, the AP reports. An earlier statement from the city called the incident "regrettable and unfortunate."

Update at 12:10 p.m. ET: At one point in the interview with WEEI, Crowley apologizes for not knowing before he got the professor's ID that he was an eminent scholar.

Here is how Crowley put it:

There are so many things in this incident that keep me scratching my head wondering. I apologize, I was not aware who professor Gates was. And when I read the name off the card, it wasn't like I said, 'Oh, wow, that's professor Gates.' I'm still just amazed that somebody of his level of intelligence could stoop to such a level and berate me, accuse me of being a racist, of racial profiling, and speaking about my mother. It's just beyond words.

Update at 12:16 p.m. ET: For more on the White House angle on the story, click here for The Oval.

Update at 12:43 p.m. ET: White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, responding to questions by reporters on Obama's statement, says, "Let me be clear, he was not calling the officer stupid. But at a certain point the situation (in Gates' house) got out of hand." Gibbs says "cooler heads" should have prevailed once it was clear this was not a break-in.

Update at 12:49 p.m. ET: Gibbs says Obama did not regret saying that he thought the Cambridge police had "acted stupidly" but wanted to clarify that he was not calling the arresting officer stupid.

Hlgarrest072309

Update at 4:06 p.m. ET: The Cambridge Police Department will hold a news conference at 5 p.m. ET to talk about the arrest of Gates.

The AP is reporting that the arresting officer is an expert at racial profiling, which he has taught at the police academy for five years. The academy director, Thomas Fleming, says the course teaches about different cultures that officers could encounter in their community "and how you don't want to single people out because of their ethnic background or the culture they come from."

Comedian Bill Cosby reacted to Obama's remark last night, initially saying he was "shocked" but later backing off a bit, The Christian Science Monitor writes.

“I’ve heard about five different reports [on the details of the arrest],” Cosby said on Boston’s WZLX. “If I’m the president of the United States, I don’t care how much pressure people want to put on it about race, I’m keeping my mouth shut. I was shocked to hear the president making this kind of statement.”

Listen to full interview here.

Here's what he said later, on Boston’s FOX 25 TV:

“People who have not been there, people who don’t know are beginning to have their own personal feelings, but they weren’t there,” Cosby said.

“Does this include the president?” the FOX reporter asked.

“It includes everybody,” Cosby said. “[but] I would have to take into consideration that he lived in Cambridge for some time so he may know more than he’s saying about situations of that sort.”

Update at 5:53 p.m. ET: In his first statement since the arrest, Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas just said that his department is "deeply pained" by the president's statement that his officers "acted stupidly." He said at a news conference that Crowley's actions were not motivated by racism.

[Ted Oplinger]

Hmmm....

If I were a policeman, investigating a reported home invasion, and a met a man at that home, and asked him for ID , seeking proof of residency - and was refused - I'd arrest him and take him downtown.

Doesn't matter what color the skin would be. Policeman routinely asks for ID - one politely obliges.

The "renown" professor should have been smart enough to give a policeman his ID when asked for it...without the mouth and hassle.

[Woody]

Gates is a political activist who likes to bait and play the race card whenever he sees the opportunity.

[bonnie]

Gates is a political activist who likes to bait and play the race card whenever he sees the opportunity.

The worst of it is,is that the president of the US admits to not knowing the facts and then uses his office and the so called press conference to use the race card.

He has the ability to ignite a race war very easily.

He might want to change the "cambridge cop acted stupidly" to the "US president using race acted stupidly"

[Woody]

Yes. I agree Bonnie. Obama is a divider not a uniter. He is blindly playing the race card. Like many blacks ... his message is "oh us poor blacks ... we are SO mistreated".

Obama's actions are irresponsible.

At times Obama just acts like a loose cannon.

[bonnie]

Gates is a political activist who likes to bait and play the race card whenever he sees the opportunity.

Heard on the radio this morning that the cop had turned on the microphone when this began. It sounds like they are debating if or when they should release the recording.

It would be nice if they did. Hopefully the president involving himself won't stop this from being released

[Woody]

It just shows that the President protects his friends.

[Woody]

Time to back pedal. And he did it. It turns out that both people are decent people after all. The only reason Obama is going backwards on his words is that he says he doesn't want it to intefer with his Health Care proposal.

[Woody]

The Mass. Police Assoc. is demanding an apology from Obama. They may even sue Gates and/or Obama.

[Woody]

Obama thinks the solution for calling the police stupid .... is to have Crowley and Gates over for a BEER. And Seventh day Adventists actually voted for Obama?

[Dr. Shane]

I think having a beer was Crowley's idea. Obama would rather have a cigarette.

[lazarus]

Obama thinks the solution for calling the police stupid .... is to have Crowley and Gates over for a BEER. And Seventh day Adventists actually voted for Obama?

I think you've had too many beers!!! LoL. What does SDA's voting have to do with it?

[Key Guy]

Update from the Associated Press:

Quote:

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - A black police officer who was at Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s home when the black Harvard scholar was arrested says he fully supports how his white fellow officer handled the situation.

Sgt. Leon Lashley says 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."

Asked if Gates should have been arrested, Lashley said supported Crowley "100 percent."

Gates has said he was the victim of racial profiling.

President Barack Obama says the officers "acted stupidly." Lashley called Obama's remark "unfortunate" and said he should be allowed to take it back.

[bonnie]

Update from the Associated Press:

Quote:

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - A black police officer who was at Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s home when the black Harvard scholar was arrested says he fully supports how his white fellow officer handled the situation.

Sgt. Leon Lashley says 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."

Asked if Gates should have been arrested, Lashley said supported Crowley "100 percent."

Gates has said he was the victim of racial profiling.

President Barack Obama says the officers "acted stupidly." Lashley called Obama's remark "unfortunate" and said he should be allowed to take it back.

Someone holding the highest,most powerful position in the US should have brains enough all on his own not to do what he did.

The word stupid might be used. To admit you do not know the details and yet say you believe the cop was acting stupidly might make one wonder about the feeling that "Obama is the smartest man to ever be president"

Coming on the heels of blasting the ear,nose and throat medical profession for removing tonsils should begin to remove that idea. I would like his "transparent proof" of statements like that. How does he know that?

The country usually gets what it allows or votes for. Unfortunately the rest of us have to get same even if we didn't vote for the man

[phkrause]

An unfortunite situation all around. Its bad enough that it happen, but even worse that some reporter thought to ask this at a news conference for health care. If this was Bush or Clinton no one would have asked this question. I'd have to say that the person asking most of had an agenda.

pk

[bonnie]

An unfortunite situation all around. Its bad enough that it happen, but even worse that some reporter thought to ask this at a news conference for health care. If this was Bush or Clinton no one would have asked this question. I'd have to say that the person asking most of had an agenda.

pk

There is a good chance it was the agenda of Obama. He allowed time for this and this is the only time during that news conference he looked animated,engaged and interested.

Regardless of the agenda of the media,the president needed to act like the president and not fan the flames and make it a racial issue.

Not sure why it is to bad it had to happen. The presidents actions are to bad,the rest of those involved seemed to be behaving in a appropriate manner

[Dr. Shane]

Sounds like this cop may have really messed up. The professor may sue the officer for false arrest.

[phkrause]

And I think the police are going to counter sue. I watched the news conference. And from what I hear they have a recording of the event?

pk

[Dr. Shane]

They could both win.

The officer may have falsely arrested him. But it had nothing to do with race.

The professor may have then been guilty of liable.

[bonnie]

And I think the police are going to counter sue. I watched the news conference. And from what I hear they have a recording of the event?

pk

I hope it is true they have the recording and maybe a good lesson for Obama and his race card if the cop does sue