Monday, July 27, 2009
Gates Arrest Police Report
A lot of people have weighed in on the Gates-Crowley while almost everyone I've heard with an opinion has conceded to not knowing all/most of the facts. To that end, here is a link to a copy of the police reports at The Smoking Gun. Not saying these are all facts, but there is at least one side of the story in the participants own words, making it easier to draw your own conclusions.
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6 comments:
Well, I've read the officer's report. While I understand all of his early actions and am sympathetic to his initial response, he totally loses my sympathy when he reports that he saw Gates' ID, and therefore knew he was rightfully in the home. Then he contacts Harvard Police? Why? You've seen his ID, you've answered the call...why not just walk away at that point? What possible need was there to prolong a confrontation? There was no longer a public safety issue. Gates was still inside. "Sorry to bother you sir," and walk away, your duty fulfilled. Everything after that point smacks of high-handedness at best.
That's reasonable, but there are just so many things about this story that don't add up. Would a Harvard ID show an address? (My college id doesn't.) If not, would it show it was his house or only who he was? ("You have no idea who you are messing with.") Why show the college id and not a driver's license? (Does he have a driver's license? I heard the other male was his driver.) I sure wonder if there is some part of this story that we're not being told, since so many of the actions on both sides seem to contrary to what those who claim to know the participants say they would do.
No, I suspect the Harvard ID had no address, but I feel that's irrelevant--it had already become a pissing contest at that point. Clearly, even w/out an address, after seeing photo ID (probably before) the cop must have known there was no crime in progress. Yes, perhaps Gates initiated the pissing, but a cop of his reputed experience and quality should have declined to participate. He took umbrage w/ Gates's umbrage, decided to teach the gown a lesson about the town, and let it get the best of him.
Perhaps. Maybe even probably. But "known" seems strong to me. Remember there was a crime reported in progress, and the fact that the resident was in the house and acting belligerently does not exclude the possibility that some sort of crime was going on. Imagine, for example, if there had been a break in about which the occupant was unaware. If the police officer left without conducting a search and an intruder later harmed a resident, would not people be similarly all over the police? You seem a bit more certain about what was going through the officer's head than I am.
It's because I'm --((PSYCHIC))--! Remind me to tell you about my very own interaction w/ the police at around 3:00AM this morning!
You throw up your food in hopes of being a male model?
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