Yesterday, Cambridge police released the tapes of the 911 call that set up the confrontation between a Harvard professor and a cop that made national headlines.
Contrary to media reports, the caller did not mention the race of the two men that a neighbor thought she saw breaking into professor Henry Louis “Skip” Gates’ Harvard-owned house on July 16. She also didn’t mention the word “backpacks” during the call.
Most of you probably never would have heard about this local matter if Barack Obama had not decided to make a racial issue out of it without knowing any of the facts.
The police reports posted on SmokingGun.com clearly shows a belligerent, pompous Skip Gates verbally abusing Sgt. James Crowley for doing his job. “Do You know who I am?” Gates shouted when Crowley asked to see his ID to prove he resided at that address.
When Sgt. Crowley informed Gates that he was investigating a possible break-in at that address, Gates asked, “Why, because I’m a black man in America?” Gates also demanded to know if Sgt. Crowley knew who he was messing with. Witnesses would later say it was almost as if Gates wanted to be arrested.
Gates heaped verbal abuse on Sgt. Crowley, calling him a racist for doing his job. Gates even hurled an insult at Sgt. Crowley’s mother as he followed the officer outside and onto the porch. If anyone was exhibiting racist behavior it was Gates.
Obama didn’t know any of these facts before sticking his foot in his mouth by referring to the Cambridge police as “acting stupidly.”
Maybe Gates prefers that police not investigate any more calls of possible break-ins at at his home.
Copied from a previous post that you couldn’t respond to:
Sandra, what witnesses? The ones in James Crowley’s head? Officer CROWLEY did in fact lie on his police report. He said he spoke with the woman who called in Lucia Whalen, and she reconfirmed to him at the scene, that she reported 2 black men. She has come out to refute that.
From CNN.com
” Attorney Wendy Murphy, who represents Whalen, also categorically rejected part of the police report that said Whalen talked with Sgt. James Crowley, the arresting officer, at the scene.
“Let me be clear: She never had a conversation with Sgt. Crowley at the scene,” Murphy told CNN by phone. “And she never said to any police officer or to anybody ‘two black men.’ She never used the word ‘black.’ Period.”
So what bloody witnesses are we talking about? Even if you think the Officer was just in arresting Gates on a BS charged that the department saw had no merit, then you have to admit that the officer acted STUPIDLY by lying on his police report.
even though SR may have added a comma or two to add slant to this story, I always felt Gates may have acted like “dont you know who I am?” If this is true, it will explain everything and what I’ve been saying about Gates escalating a simple police call by the neighbor to a natinal news story, inclusive of soundbite from the POTUS.
I’m still waiting……Why was the DISORDERLY CONDUCT CHARGES dropped……….
Karaz Thank you,
Its to early in the morning for this bs. Why do feel like Obama should have left it alone. HE WAS ASKED A DAMN QUESTION. So as the gentlemen he is he answered what HE felt about the situations with the facts that HE got. We dont even know ALL the facts yet, WE are going by what we heard in the media becasue we werent their.
Do i think the cop is racist? NO
Do i think he acted stupidly? YES
Do i think Gates taunted them SOME? YES
DO I think he deserved to be arrested? NO
I say these things because looking at tv i see whites get pulled over all the time, like someone said in a previous post they be mofos this mofos that, i aint do this, and f dat all types of bull sh*t, And you know what the officers do MOST of the time. “Ma am calm down, its not that serious, etc etc. They show sympathy or atlease hold their compsure and useing arrest as the last factor. As where it comes to a black man, it seems they feel mor ethreatened and would rather use excessive (sp?) force or arrest as a first result.
My point is the police officer (Crowley, not the department) DID act stupidly.
Sorry for the rant, im just tired of this damn story,
I find your take on this matter to be very sad. & contrary to what you believe I heard about the Gates story before Obama spoke out on it. (Which is why he was asked about it in the first place. It was already news). Truth be told I read it here. Not by you. By another poster durning a topic change.
I guess you have your head buried so deep in Obamadome that you missed the story.
Racism has existed in America long before Obama and long after him.
Goat
I been wondering the same thing. Cause wouldnt you flip the f out if police was called to YOUR home for a possible break in cause as he [Crowley] stated someone saw 2 blackmen with backpacks (which is a lie) trying to get into the resident? You show them ur id and they still tryna determine what. What else needed to be said? He was in his own home.
If the cops weren’t wrong, like Goat said, then why were the charges dropped.
Oh let me guess, cause Barac made someone do it?
Sandra I would have known about this story w/o the Pres. comments because I listen to Rev Al’s talk show and he covers OUR issues and Prof. Gates lawyer (prof. Ogletree) is always a frequent guest and he also taught BOTH Michelle and Barack in law school.
I see that you want to keep making it seem like the issue was the cop responding when called when you know that is NOT the issue at hand. Gates never said he had a problem with cops showing up due to the neighbors call his side of the story is he showed ID that it was HIS house yet that wasn’t enough. I am not convinced that Gates was the 1st person to ever mouth off at this Sgt. Like I said yesterday the Sgt wanted to show Gates who was really in charge that night.
You’re starting to get really irritating. I come to this site to check out funny stories and pics of celebs, but good grief. I didn’t see this much of Bush as you pushing up on Obama.
Lmfao
Sandra is this the important things going on in the world u were speaking about
Lmfao
i heard about this story the morning of! Obama took a couple days to respond prolly after pressure from the media since many thought it was a racial issue! some of these stories sound like FOX News!
“Barack Obama had not decided to make a racial issue out of it without knowing any of the facts”
Sandra,I’m starting to think of you as an “Auntie Annie”
If I recall correctly this story was all over the news channels before the reporter asked our beloved POTUS what he thought.. (and as I come to think about it, i think he was set up, all the other reports asked questions that pretained to the subject matter “health plan”… Barack was set up!
@Lovely…..Lack of Evidence equals bullsh1t charge in this case…….and they supposedly have a witness….
Lovely Lady, I agree with you 100%. And one tends to wonder why black men excel as professional athletes. The answer is plan and simple: the playing field is level and the rules ALWAYS apply to EVERYONE.
I’ll say it a million times, if Gates were white, we wouldn’t even be talking bout this mess. It just goes to shows, once again, how racially divided this country is. Peaceeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
@Goat
It was dropped because it was “JUST”…
@ goat
Crowley, felt his upper hand as a police officer wasn’t being properly respected, and he responded by handcuffing Gates. It was a wrong arrest – since cops arent allowed to arrest people merely for giving them lip, on their own property no less – and charges were rightfully dropped
Has anyone heard about Shem Walker? Another black man killed by cops.
Sandra, I knew about this story for several reasons, including Twitter, personal friends, and I don’t know following up on news daily; before Obama was asked about it. So again if you insist on pulling assertions out of thin air back it up.
Sandra, were you there to witness the incident or do you simply believe everything that is written? The fact stands if Gates was white this never would have played out the way it did. The responding officer has already been caught in more than one lie. He said he spoke to the caller at the scene and she said through her lawyer yesterday that she never spoke to him. So that being the case why did he put in the police report that she told him there was two black males breaking into the residence? This officer is just like the rest of the majority of the police: someone who abuses their power. Was Gates rude, pompous and beligerent? My answer is a resounding yes. I would have done the same had somebody come knocking on my door about some crap come out on the porch and talk to me after I came from a long flight from China. Man I don’t care if I just walked in the door from getting the mail. This is my home and you have no right coming up on my porch telling me to come outside yet you don’t want to show me your identification and provide me with your badge number. I know that you are not from this country, but in this country we have rights. You know how you always say England is your country? Well this is my country and we don’t get down like that. The days of the Jim Crow laws and slavery are long gone. President Barack Obama never made this a racial issue. You simply used your Blog as a platform to further your hate of Obama. I don’t know but it seems like you have a self hate of your own people. At any rate, why don’t you go obtain your citizenship and then perhaps you may vote in the next election. Why not rally all of your friends and supporters and then maybe just maybe by a slim chance some intelligent, educated intellectual like Mrs. Quit In The Middle of My Term Sarah Palin will be elected. The police officer involved in this incident could have handled this situation so much better. He is trained to diffuse situations yet in this one instance his behaviors escalated the situation and here we are still talking about it. Maybe the real reason you are upset is because Chris Brown blew your precious RiRi’s back out at the Trump Hotel this past weekend. Pow!
Sandra if I didn’t know any better I would think that u live in a different society than the rest of the world. This was racist and even Stevie Wonder could see it was. No where did the caller mention “BLACK” yet the officer did. If any cops were talked to like this officer was would YOU be arrested? You really need to get off of Obama’s tip and bring back the celebrity articles and LEAVE POLITICS to the policticians. Everything is not about my black PRESIDENT.
Why do Shannon’s last sentences always make me LOL?
Sandra, the police office lied about one aspect of this case, is lying a part of the job description?
Love it Shannon and I agree 100% but she’ll probably block u if u keep talking like dis.
and watch Cowley gonna loose his job for falsify information on the police report….
THIS IS OLD NEWS….WHY ARE WE STILL HEADLINING THIS?
even though SR may have added a comma or two to add slant to this story, I always felt Gates may have acted like “dont you know who I am?” If this is true, it will explain everything and what I’ve been saying about Gates escalating a simple police call by the neighbor to a natinal news story, inclusive of soundbite from the POTUS.
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cOSIGN…. THIS STORY NEEDS TO GO AWAY NOW
comes to find out when gates was a professor here in nc at duke i think he was also involved in racism. the workers who were renovating his posh home here at the time kept asking to talk to the homeowner…which was him.
in other words there is no WAY a black man in durham could POSSIBLY afford digs like that so he was basically mistaken for the butler.
sometimes previous experiences can jade your outlook on similar situations forever.
Peachizz Says:
and watch Cowley gonna loose his job for falsify information on the police report….
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I doubt it, unless Lucia Whalen files a suit, cops will continue to cover his azz unless they’re pushed to a corner. Though he should lose his job, because had it been a regular citizen making false reports…
Actually reading the police report, it doesn’t sound plausible, it’s clear to me he’s lying. Why would someone call in a possible robbery and then walk down to the scene of the crime? Aren’t you afraid that the robbers are armed?
kona for that shan. about the back blowing.
you know the way bruh. >>>>>>>>>
LOL @ Shannon, i look forward to ya last statements.. LOL
Lucia Whalen’s probaly got someone in her ear screaming sue.. we’ll see….
If i was the Cop id sue for defamation! its no evidence of anything racial…that aspect of this needs to get thrown out… to men not backing down and the cop did arrested him to try to shut up this beligerent old man who thinks Gods gift to earth cause hes a harvard professor
Very Well Said Shannon,
People act like racial issues dont exist. Be for real
DOWN SOUTH STILL HAS SEGREGATED PROMS WTF???? NOT TO MENTION THE KKK IS NOW DRESSED AS BUSINESS MEN SITTING IN OFFICES ACROSS FROM. WE STILL HAVE SO FAR TO GO IN THIS COUNTRY EVEN WITH A BLACK MAN AS PRES. SMDH
spongebob, you sound salty as hell… what happened you fell asleep during the SATs and missed the mark to get into Harvard? Why are you mad he’s a Harvard professor? You could’ve been one too you know.
If you don’t see the racial part of this, where the cop lied about the description her was given and changed maybe hispanic to clearly black. You might need to look up the definition of defamation/libel or slander. There is no evidence that James Crowley was defamed in any way shape of form in fact if there’s anyone who has grounds to sue, it’s Lucia Whalen for the libelous police report, depicting her as race motivated.
is this obama day? where is the juicy gossip like rihanna and chris brown creepin’?
Shannon you MADE my DAY

My daughter said this made news because the professor talked back. Had he not said anything, he probably still would have been arrested anyway and it wouldn’t have made news.
In my years on this earth, I’ve found that it’s better to get it off my chest. Especially, since the outcome will probably be the same whether I do or not. At least, I’ll feel better.
Right or wrong, I bet Gates feels better not having suppressed his feelings.
My daughter said this made news because the professor talked back. Had he not said anything, he probably still would have been arrested anyway and it wouldn’t have made news.
In my years on this earth, I’ve found that it’s better to get it off my chest. Especially, since the outcome will probably be the same whether I do or not. At least, I’ll feel better.
Right or wrong, I bet Gates feels better not having suppressed his feelings.
Ooops…sorry
Kara be killing it on here so I’ll let her handle this topic today (get em Kara).
This incident happened on 7/16. I heard about this on the news in Florida on my vacation so it definately wasn’t a “local” story.
Also, a neighbor didn’t call the police a passerby did. An older lady stopped Lucia. There are too many stories out here for folks to be passing off opinions now without knowing simple facts (sounding like Sandra). I’m still waiting on the tapes that shows Mr. Gates said something about dudes moma, “do you know who I am, etc? The Cambridge police kept saying that the tapes will speak for themselves BUT they actually ended up helping Mr Gates in asking more questions about Crowleys version of what happened than Mr. Gates. There are a few things we know of that he lied about in the police report so why is it so far fetched to believe he effed up and tried to cover it up and it’s an EPIC FAIL!!!
Sgt. Crowley’s azz is in trouble for falsifying a police report.
Sidebar: There are just some n*&^$$ you just don’t mess with. I and Professor Gates are just two of them.
KaraZ you’re so right Prof Gates is better than you, me and that cop, shame on us for not kissing his ass after all he IS a harvard prof and is above the law.
And yes if Gates continues Slandering Crowley labeling him a racist thats is grounds for a suit, esp if he lost his job or find life is hard for him now based on everything
the fact that he put the words black in the police report does not mean Mr Crowly is Racist(imo).. my point is to label another person has harshly being racist is irrepsonsible, im not saying no blame should be placed on Crowley, gates should not have been arrested, from what i read. My opinion stands that Gates was playing the CLASS/RANK card, and crowley feelings got hurt… thats why im not on the racial bandwagon, in my opinion its NOT about that.. Gates made it about that, imo
Further Do not proceed to disrespect me KAra I’m expressing my opinion like you are, and i will not tolerate that.
We “Malcolm X type” Negroes ain’t taking the ish anymore. Racists, you have been warned. Black folks know how to fight a civil war and win without weapons.
@ Sandra, your black card has been officially revoked forever. LOL
@sponge he played that card by asking the officer for his NAME and BADGE NUMBER? According to Gates as I wasn’t there that is when things went from bad to worse and I can tend to believe that.
@attymom I
Brother Malcom
@spongebobfan
Again:
From CNN.com
” Attorney Wendy Murphy, who represents Whalen, also categorically rejected part of the police report that said Whalen talked with Sgt. James Crowley, the arresting officer, at the scene.
“Let me be clear: She never had a conversation with Sgt. Crowley at the scene,” Murphy told CNN by phone. “And she never said to any police officer or to anybody ‘two black men.’ She never used the word ‘black.’ Period.”
—–
I find it hard to believe the rest of Crowley’s account since he’s been caught in one blatant lie already. Crowley lied about race to make his case for arrest seem stronger… maybe that’s not racist, but it’s definitely race influenced, racially charged, race motivated, you pick the appropriate term.
There’s no concrete evidence that Gates made those statements about “knowing who he was, Crowley’s mama” or that Gates was uncooperative or belligerent. Given the plethora of possible lies Crowley put in the police report….” Crowley at this point lacks credibility and his words shouldn’t be taken as gospel truth.
As far as Professor Gates being better than you, I didn’t say he was, nor did my words in any way imply that he was. Again your words specifically about his perceived class and achievements make you seem salty, and I infer that you might have a chip on your shoulder because you might view him as an “uppity negro.”
& I agree 100% with statement
sponge says
If i was the Cop id sue for defamation! its no evidence of anything racial…
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sponge you’re losing me. Per the police reports and 911 tapes, The officer was the ONLY person who mentioned anything about race. You continue to say Mr Gates did but did you hear something on the tapes that I missed? You’re saying he said this because the officer said he did yet this same officer has already been called a liar by the 911 caller. The caller said she couldn’t tell what race AND when pressed said one of them may have been hispanic. So please tell me why in his police report did he said he spoke to her (what she denies) at the scene and told him it was 2 black men BREAKING IN. So who brought race into this….really?
sponge also says
the cop did arrested him to try to shut up this beligerent old man who thinks Gods gift to earth cause hes a harvard professor
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So now the cop in order to “shut him up” arrested him for being beligerent? How about the cop knew he effed up when it was proven to be his home and when Mr Gates said now you have my ID give me your ID “Mr Officer” is when Jim Crow had to think of a way to cover his azz. You are being so quick to judge Gates as thinking of what kind of person he is and pointing out his profession that you don’t seem to be looking at the facts. Not Sandra facts because there are no “several witnesses” and the only place she’s getting her quotes is from the officers police report. It may not be a clas issue but is this a class issue for you?
people please start doing research. you can’t bash people who aren’t in Obama’s corner. it’s a slow process, but one by one, people r coming around. i too had to.
people please start doing research…..says the person that said Lucia Whalen was a neighbor.
Why does this issue continue to to back to Obama? This isn’t an Obama issue, Sandra is making it into to one but no one else is…oh except and let me get this right…the people she let register to help her bash Obama. I believe someone said this yesterday…not my words.
What research is needed to see the cop lied on the police report about Lucia Whalen’s statements? About race? I bet if we researched more we’d find out what the rest of the lies in the officer put on the report.
Some people refuse to see the facts in front of them and see what others see, they’re so blinded by not liking the president that it’s now his fault that James Crowley lied about race to make a false arrest.
I’m not even an Obama fan, but damn that dude can’t get a break… Someone runs out of gas on the highway, it’s Obama’s fault, someone got fired for smoking weed on the job, it’s Obama’s fault, someone’s limp deek boyfriend can’t make her cum, I bet it’s Obama’s fault too.
Free OBAMA dammit.
First of all reports of this incident were all over the place BEFORE President Obama made his statement.
The only race the woman reported was possibly one latino and she clearly stated that it was possible that they lived there as she saw two suitcases, but just wanted to make sure everything was ok.
I heard the 911 call and the officer’s radio transmission where he stated that Professor Gates was being uncooperative and that they should send more cars. Why the hell did he need to stay and send for more cars once he knew Gates lived there no matter how beligerent he was? Was he hoping they could pump 51 bullets into the old man? All he had to do was keep it moving. Once again, he can play innocent all he wants, but it’s clear he is not.