Scholar Henry Louis Gates Arrested, For Nothing, At Own House
Obviously the Cambridge, Mass. police department didn't get that memo about us living in "Post-Racial America" and felt it's still cool to arrest a man of a certain age (58) for trying to get into his own house. All he was was the homeowner and a well-connected Harvard Professor. I'm sure he looks EXACTLY like someone who would break into a house in that Tony suburb.
Um ... What's up with this, police?
Police arrived at Gates's Ware Street home near Harvard Square at 12:44 p.m. to question him. Gates, director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard, had trouble unlocking his door after it became jammed.
He was booked for disorderly conduct after "exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior," according to a police report. Gates accused the investigating officer of being a racist and told him he had "no idea who he was messing with,'' the report said.
Gates told the officer that he was being targeted because "I'm a black man in America.'' [To read a copy of the police report, click here]
Friends of Gates said he was already in his home when police arrived. He showed his driver's license and Harvard identification card, but was handcuffed and taken into police custody for several hours last Thursday, they said.
The police report said Gates was arrested after he yelled at the investigating officer repeatedly inside the residence then followed the officer outside, where Gates continued to upbraid him. "It was at that time that I informed Professor Gates that he was under arrest,'' the officer wrote in the report.
So they arrested him because he got loud about being harassed for being in his own house? How many things are WRONG with this sentence? The man had trouble getting in his house, got in his house then was harassed for being in his house then was arrested for being upset about being harassed for being in his house. These all sound like pretty natural reactions to me. Unless Gates administered a Hong Kong Fooey-style beatdown on the policeman, what was the problem here? You can't take some yelling from a naturally upset person? You're the one who messed up, Cambridge Po-Po. Not Gates! You're the one harassing homeowners because they have a permanent tan. I get that there were reports of a "prowler," but once he produced proof that it was, in fact, his house, shouldn't that have been "I'm so sorry for your inconvenience" time? Not, "you're under arrest?"
Personally, I think Gates was arrested for having a normal, human reaction as opposed to the reaction my Grandpa was taught to have living in segregated Arkansas. Meaning, be humble and apologize even when the police are in the wrong. My grandpa, while in his 60s was once stopped because he and his brother, also in his 60s, had a bunch of furniture in the bed of their truck and the officer, young enough to be one of their grandkids asked, "What are you boys doing with this stuff?" Grandpa Snob, apparently looking like some kind of menace in his work clothes (a pair of Dickies) and being SIXTY-SOME-ODD-YEARS-OLD was polite the whole time and waited patiently for the cop to call their truck in and learn they were moving things for an employer.
In St. Louis, about a decade or so back, a commercial was run on several stations with black audiences instructing black people how to interact with the police to avoid getting shot. Among the instructions was to not get angry no matter how wrong the officer was. The ad was highly controversial, but there HAD been a rash of police shootings that summer. Usually in the back.
My father and mother, both in their late 50s at the time, helped me move to Midland, TX. As they were leaving my father was pulled over. He was doing the speed limit and hadn't broken any laws. The officer was curious who these folks with out-of-states plates were. My father was naturally furious and ready to go off until he remembered the advice of his younger brother who told him it was better to shut up and smile than wind up arrested when folks are looking for any excuse to arrest you.
Long story short: Black people are not allowed it seems, under any circumstances, to ever have a human reaction to police error or harassment. Even in Post-racial America. Even if you're a Harvard professor. You are not allowed to get mad. You are not allowed to voice your opinion. You are not allowed to be loud and tumultuous or whatever that means. You are supposed to be apologetically black. Sorry for being an obvious target of racism. How dare you be born this color and attract this negative attention? I'm so very sorry for being born black in America. How can I make this up to you, Mr. Officer? It's my fault we all look alike to you. Pardon me for my Negroness.
I hope the police get over their widdle pride, man up, and drop the charges.
To read Gates side of things, click here.
Danielle Belton
Charges were dropped! Read here: http://blacksnob.com/snob_blog/2009/7/21/charges-dropped-against-gates-in-home-arrest.html
Reader Comments (75)
Wonder what Gates reaction would be had the responding officer been black. Just sayin'...
Angela,
I think the question is would a black officer or any other officer for that matter not move on once Gates provided TWO form of ID's proving that he DOES belong in the home?
Sorry Snob but you've left out half the story of why the cops were called in the first place. I'm glad I heard the whole story this morning on NPR.
Actually Angela, I wonder if a black arresting officer would have continued to give him beef after surmising Gates was rightfully at home.
The arresting officer's report (which is still highly suspect) states that though he was confident Gates was in his own home, he was upset at how he was being addressed.
Excuse me? The operative word is "duh!"
If I am home and a cop is asking me if I live there...yes, I am going to be upset. The cop should understand that and GTFO..with a huge apology while backstepping. More often than not someone with a background of being the suspect (raise your hands, black men) is going to understand.
i live in boston and i'm curiously waiting on how the cambridge police will spin this story...
This isn't post-racial America. The Gates incident is just more proof of that. The issue right now isn't how things should be--the issue is how things are. And right now, even esteemed Harvard professors will get profiled if they're black.
And if the report is accurate, this is a clear case of two wrongs making a bigger wrong. NO, Gates should not have been arrested--and the fact that he was asked to leave his home, then arrested in public, is all kinds of suspect. But--again, if the report is accurate--Gates could have registered his anger in a much more constructive way than "yo mama" jokes. (Actually, I refuse to believe Dr. Gates would even say that mess.) That's NOT saying he should have shuffled for massa--just that maybe losing his shit wasn't the most constructive way to handle things.
Scott,
To me the Cops being called is NOT the issue here. What the officer did after due dilligence was performed by Gates in showing 2 form of IDs is the problem for here.
I'm ok with the police in this story UNTIL the moment they know that it's Gates' house. Until that point, a routine investigation of suspicious activity is within their rightful duty. But once he identifies himself as the homeowner, this officially becomes some bull crap.
There are two police reports on this incident.(See the Field-Negroblogspot.) One was from the arresting officer and one which has not been cited much is from the cop who showed up as back up. That report does not support the arresting officer's contention that there was a need for an arrest. They got Gates out the house specifically to arrest him, knowing that they could not arrest him for disorderly within the confines of his own home. This is gonna get UGLY and I do hope Skip makes them pay for it.
I didn't read the other report. That changes things completely....have you got a link?
The Root has Gates' version of events . http://www.theroot.com/views/lawyers-statement-arrest-henry-louis-gates-jr
All I can say is that once I ID myself and the cop left I wouldn't have followed him outside, no matter how right I thought I was.
wow!
My God if the woman who called in the "break-in" was his neighbor then this story is even worse. (does anyone know who this "tipster" was?) How in the world could she not have considered that maybe it was his house, because since when do nearly 60 year old men break in to houses???
My step-daughter will be moving to Cambridge next month for college, looks like we're going to have to have that "how to not get shot by the po-lice" conversation with her before we drop her off. This is just so damn depressing.
Scott,
From what I understand he requested the offficer's badge number and full name. As a citizen whose tax money is paying the officer's salary, i believed he was entitled to that information. Gates followed the officer outside with his continued request.
I mean do I need to quote the movie V about how the people should not live in fear of their goverment/cops, but they should live in fear of us. j/k
but seriously, what kind of society are we becoming when something as simple as stepping outside of our home becomes a negotion of our freedom with the cops.
Horrifying.
If he didn't put hands on the officer I don't care how loud and abusive he got, they had no right to arrest him. And I'm sorry to say I guarantee he would not have been arrested if he'd been a white man.
MrsT:
How many people usually open the front door to their house by trying to force it open with their shoulder?
Scott, Mr. Gates said he came home from a trip to find the front door was damaged and that is why he was trying to force it open and eventually had to go around to the back door. But if it is my house I can do what ever the hell I please to my front door and my neighbors should not be trying to call the police on me for it.
chocomiel:
I agree that in a perfect world the cop should have given Gates his name and badge number (which is also available on the police report) However, I always remember the advice my father, who was a cop for a spell. He told me to do what the cop the said, how the cop said to do it and for as long was the cop said to do it. Dad said I should only say yes or no sir and to never argue with them even if I was right. This advice has served me well over the years and probably saved me from being arrested once in college.
"Open and shut case, Johnson. I saw this once when I was a rookie. Apparently this negro broke in and put up pictures of his family everywhere...Just sprinkle some crack on him and let's get out of here." - d. chappelle
Scott,
I know your question is to MrsT, but I would also like to answer.
I figure the actual number of people who usually open the front door to their house by trying to force it open with their shoulder is < or = to the number of people who are ABLE to use their shoulder to force THEIR front door open when a locksmith is NOT required.
Now what relevance does the actual number have with this case?
or am I ignorant of a number threshold to be met for any LEGAL activity BEFORE us Negroes can participate and said LEGAL activity?
you know like using our shoulder to open our front door.
MrsT:
So now you are accusing the caller of being racist as well? How was the caller supposed to know the door was broken, maybe by using her powers of telepathy or her ESP? We know all the facts now but the caller didn't. Also here is the police report.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/gates_incident_report_redacted.pdf
Oh my goodness where is Soledad Obrien when we need her? I'm sure her weigh in is sorely needed in this debate. Oh wait. I can see it now. Black in my own damn House Part I. Airing in August 2010.
In my facebook group "The Woman Who Cried Wolf..." we talk about this very thing. However what I find interesting is that we (the darkies) are even starting question our own people. "Why was he breaking into his own house?" He wasn't the door was jammed. That happened to our neighbor and a bunch of folks helped him get in. Why? We all know each other, even the white ones.
And so now some nosy neighbor who obviously didn't know who Gates is a neighbor called the cops. Where I live the new 'gentrificationers' go out of their way to say hi to me and my husband. I think it is simple kindness but I also get a sense of like "Hey I am a neighbor, your my neighbor let's talk to each every now and then". I have some neighbors downstairs who can barely mumble good morning. And we've been neighbors for over 15 years!!!
There is so many things wrong with this story but let's not get it twisted. He has the right to get angry. The cops should have stepped the fuck off got in their car and find some real criminals and leave this man alone. Like they've never been told off by someone else of another hue. Please!!!
chocomiel:
As an attorney, I can tell you that what the caller observed, two people (of any color) who seemed to be trying to force the door open meets the standard of probable cause for the cops to investigate.
It basically sounds like the officer was trying to put Dr. Gates "in his place." Also, I don't understand how both the neighbors and the police would NOT recognize one of the university's more publicized professors. This man has written numerous books, been on television a ga-brillion times. If his neighbors are a part of the Harvard community, then why wouldn't they know who he is? It doesn't make sense to me.
Scott,
Have you ever heard of a sticky front door?
Xay:
I have heard of sticky doors and experienced them but so what? Do you have a point or are you trying to look clever?