Sgt. James Crowley, the Cambridge police officer who arrested distinguished Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. for disorderly conduct, slammed Barack Obama for saying the Cambridge police acted “stupidly” in arresting Gates.
Obama made the insulting remark during his televised press conference on health care reform last night from the White House. Obama prefaced his remarks by admitting bias because Gates was a close friend of his.
Both Crowley and his attorney Alan McDonald spoke with ABC News today. McDonald said Obama “was dead wrong to malign this police officer specifically and the department in general.”
Crowley added, “I think he’s way off base wading into a local issue without knowing all the facts, as he himself stated before he made that comment.
Crowley was called to professor Gates’ home last week to investigate a report of a break-in. Crowley said Gates, who was returning from a trip to China, at first refused to provide ID to the officer.
Gates then began hurling racial insults at Crowley. “Mr. Gates was given plenty of opportunities to stop what he was doing. He didn’t. He acted very irrational. He controlled the outcome of that event,” Crowley told WBZ. “There was a lot of yelling, there was references to my mother,” he added, “something you wouldn’t expect from anybody that should be grateful that you were there investigating a report of a crime in progress, let alone a Harvard University professor.”
The charges against professor Gates were later dropped.
Too bad the President can’t have an opinion.
A cop saying someone should think before they act.
Tell Amadu Diallo that (I thought it was a gun. oops was a wallet)
Tell Sean Bell that (I thought he had a gun. Oops never found said gun)
Tell Abna Louima that (who cares what I think. Lets just ram this plunger stick up his arse)
(Sorry for screwing up the spelling of the names.)
He didn’t call him stupid, he said the police officers acted “stupidly”.. He even mentioned that he didn’t know all the facts.. I’m glad the President spoke out on this, we need to address how blacks are treated by police..
Dr Gates should have NEVER been arrested.. He was arrested even after he showed id, and the Harvard police identified him.
Ok, now I know this cop is a fuggin lie. Skip Gates talk about someone’s mama? I call BS
Cry me a river!
Team Obama! Was so glad he had an I am a brotha moment and kept it 100% real talk then went back into I am the HNIC mode as President Obama..lol LOVED IT!
He was stupid and he’s even more stupid for complaining. He thought he was profiling any old nigga and it blew up in his face. I’m glad Barack stood up for Dr. Gates.
while i feel for the professor, i cant help but think that he WAS acting all irrational..i can fully see this professor saying ‘race this race that’ and calling him white devil or whatever else , he was already moody from that long trip, door being stuck and inconveince of walking to back to be let in door..im sure if he calmly explained the situation without getting all high and mighty it have been no issue… i do not get a racial vibe from this at all(in my opinion of course)
7spongebobfan Says:
while i feel for the professor, i cant help but think that he WAS acting all irrational..i can fully see this professor saying ‘race this race that’ and calling him white devil or whatever else , he was already moody from that long trip, door being stuck and inconveince of walking to back to be let in door..im sure if he calmly explained the situation without getting all high and mighty it have been no issue… i do not get a racial vibe from this at all(in my opinion of course)
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I feel the way you do. Mr. Gates forgets that no title he holds let’s him off the hook for still being black at the end of the day. He did not respond to a simple command from a police officer. He’s a Prof. who teaches race relations. The biggest problem with police officers and black males is “no respect” on both sides.
@spongbobfan, how can you this professor throwing the race card? Has this been your personal experience with him? You are aware that he is married to a white woman and both of his daughters are biracial and identify fully with bein white and black. I’ve known him since I was in high school, interacted with him as a professor, giving high school seniors a lecture and as also interacted with him personally as one of the his children’s friends eating up his free food in his house, I’ve seen many of Skip Gate’s moods (even the bad ones) and let me tell you all this cop is saying is completely and totally out of character for this dude, I simply cannot believe what this cop is saying.
I dont know him at all, and if im wrong, so be it… but in my readings..it just didnt add up… while cops can and have been wrong in many a situation, i feel as if this was cause and effect…if he reacted differently, calmly its no reason that he shouldve been arrested..i personaly find it hard to believe that the cop arrested him for NO reason.. yes he was in his house etc etc but was he irate? acting DISORDERLY to a cop if so WHY?
as far as Obama goes…. being POTUS.. he has to responsible with his comments and remarks…as sandra said is was complete bias and being a president he cant show bias like that…. 1. he didnt know all the facts 2. “stupidly” is harsh 3. 2012 hes gonna need and want the vote not only of that one policeman, but the entire police force for most part and civil workers such as policeofficers will turn your back on you quick and its not pretty(polically speaking)
spongebobfan
I’m sure Dr. Gates went the hell off, but that officer knows better than anyone how sensitive an issue racial profiling is to black men. He could have easily calmed the professor, by saying, “Sir, I understand your frustration and apologize for the inconvenience. A concerned neighbor just wanted to make sure everything was ok.” I bet you a million dollars that was not his response. No matter how innocent he tries to act I have no doubt he inflamed the situation further rather than quell it.
spongebobfan Says:
as far as Obama goes…. being POTUS.. he has to responsible with his comments and remarks…as sandra said is was complete bias and being a president he cant show bias like that…. 1. he didnt know all the facts 2. “stupidly” is harsh 3. 2012 hes gonna need and want the vote not only of that one policeman, but the entire police force for most part and civil workers such as policeofficers will turn your back on you quick and its not pretty(polically speaking)
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I agree with you 100% spongebob.
C
Nah, the cop was wrong and STUPID period!
I agree with Obama and I’m glad he voiced his honest opinion. Once Gates showed his ID that proved that he was in his own residence issue resolved case close.
So what happened did he make the police officer mad?? Did he hurt him feelings?? Get the hell out of my house.
The officer needs to grow up do his job and stop pouting.
Can you imagine? Gates already living in that neigborhood, probably been self concious form time to time, feeling like he has to constantly make it clear why he is there Harvard professor, college degree holding. Knowing that if he just shows up one day dressed in a patricular way he could be looked at supiciously, meanwhile the rest of the neighborhood is going on about their daily lives never having to explain their presence for being there or be self concious. Then finally it happens, you are trying to get into your house and here comes the police. Immediately your’re thinking I knew this day was coming. I think Gates may have said some things to inflame the situation, but I can just see the cop with his bravdo attitude, Superhero Whiteman here to save the neighborhood. Never crossing his mind that a black person could even own a home there. Now police organization all across the nation are going to come down on Obama because everyone has been looking for a reason to throw him under the bus. So many people hating that he is the President.
Please the cops did act stupidly by arresting this man for disorderly conduct in his own home and not mirandizing him properly. I think the cop got pissed when Gates refused to step out of his house (onto public property which would allow other laws to kick in against him).
I think the fact that this cop is refusing to apologize is also telling of his personality… I mean what harm would it do to apologize to someone to ameliorate a publicly embarrassing situation, even if you think you’re right? The cop is stubborn, so now I know he played a bigger part in this mix up than he’s admitting to. This officer seems to be in the middle of a “when keeping it real goes wrong” moment.
@Sponge Dr Gates isn’t a race this race that kind of fellow so to speak. He was om GMA talking about being married to his white wife and how his kids were mixed. Even if he was a race kind of guy the cops were WRONG! He was in his OWN house and showed them PROOF that he lived there.
@Sponge SMH and anti you would co sign that. The COP was wrong and he knew enough FACTS to speak on the issue. I am glad he touched on the issue of racial profiling. The cops were called they had to respond but its HOW they responded is the issue. How many white ppl do you know that get arrested for “breaking” into their OWN house?
When Obama says”He didn’t know all the facts” most of ya’ll didn’t hear him say “He didn’t know all the facts, to wether this is a case of Racial Profiling or not” muthaphuckas only hear what they wanna hear………After Gates proved that this was his house and still was arrested Thats when the the Police Dept. acted Stupidly to the situation……..This man didn’t threatin the police not one time…..The police arrested Gates because his was crushed, and couldn’t do sh1t about it……….
If the cop was so concerned with his safety…..why did he go into the house by himself before his back-up got there……LIES
@ goat..#21
..EXACTLY!!
@Bird #12…..just like the police in Dallas….the one that stopped the Nfl player while his Mother-in-law was dying……..
goat76 Says:
If the cop was so concerned with his safety…..why did he go into the house by himself before his back-up got there……LIES
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The man relies on a CANE to walk these days, how big of a threat could he have been?
Well in my opinion BOTH sides could have handled themselves differently.
Me myself would have been heated, but if I felt this dude was racist, three things would have clicked in my mind.
1. He’s a white police officer
2. He’s trying to play me & could take me to JAIL
3. Knowing the connections I have, shut the F*ck up & get
his @ss on the rebound.
The officer says he didnt think Gates was a suspect. The description he got was two young black males with backpacks.
So IF thats the case & what he THOUGHT, all he had to do was say “we believe someone ELSE is in your home & need to get you out for your protection.
Instead he’s ignoring his questions, why? I dont recall him giving an excuse as to why he refused to give Gates his badge number????????????
The President didn’t call him stupid, he said it was stupidity. BUT…I will call this cop STUPID! because his actions were overboard and plain stupid.
@Karaz…..even if it was a real home invasion…..what cop is going into a situation or somebody house with-out at least one other police officer for back up…..it coulda been 20 niggas wit machine guns waiting on yo ass, but you talking bout for my safety…..strait Bullsh1t
The truth really hurts…..cause whatever Dr.Gates said to him, crushed his EGO……and why was the disorderly conduct charge dropped……Cause it’s BullSh1t….plain and simple
oat76 Says:
The truth really hurts…..cause whatever Dr.Gates said to him, crushed his EGO……and why was the disorderly conduct charge dropped……Cause it’s BullSh1t….plain and simple
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Now this is more in line with the Skip Gates I know, he can verbally whoop your ass, he won’t even raise his voice to do it or talk about your mama; just use the English language to destroy you and make you contemplate your life, he is an English professor after all. There’s no law against that.
Lemondrop Says:
The officer says he didnt think Gates was a suspect. The description he got was two young black males with backpacks.
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Which leads me to the main person who everyone is forgetting, the racist ass neighbor!!!! Skip Gates has lived in that house for how long??? And you still dont’ know what he looks like or that he belongs there? How does this 50+ yr old man with a cane look like 2 young black men, even if his cabbie was helping him open the door, wouldn’t the luggage sitting on the porch indicate tell you something. The chick who called it in worked for a AHrvard alumni magazine that his profiled, quoted and published photographs of Prof. Gates for years, you mean at 12something in the afternoon, she couldn’t recognize another of Harvard’s most esteemed professors? Her ass is fugged up.
Still shaking my head at sponge thinkin Dr Gates did something wrong he just had the wrong skin color end of story
@goat thank u for breaking it down these Obama bashers only hear what they want
Is he starting to feel guilty? lol Prez said ‘ACTED STUPIDLY’ not that he was stupid. Meaning his action in arresting the professor was unwise! DUH!
It needed to be said!
Racists always want to classify Negroes response to racism as irrational. Kiss my big black azz.
Sidebar: There are more “Malcolm X” type Negroes than “Martin Luther King” type Negroes roaming the planet. We are mad as hell and we ain’t taking the bs anymore. Selah.