Prominent Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. arrested at home over ‘loud behavior’

Why would you arrest someone in their own home? one word. Ego. As the story goes, Dr. Gates was returning to his home from a trip and with his luggage standing prominently outside a neighbor called the police thinking his home was being broken into. But, the reality was that his door was broken and he had to break it to get into his home. After he identified himself to the police officer and showed him both his Harvard ID and his drivers license (with address on it) the officer still didn’t believe him. Agitated, Dr. Gates allegedly stated to the officer, “you are doing this because I am black and you are a white officer”. By this time Harvard police also arrived and identified him as Dr. Gates. The Cambridge officer asked him to come outside whereby initially Dr. Gates refused, finally when he stepped outside the police officer states, “Now I can arrest you” and he did. So, don’t believe the hype. Dr. Gates is a pre-imminent scholar of African American history and to be treated in his manner is appalling. Instead of defusing the situation, apologizing to an obviously agitated Dr. Gates. The officer lost his cool, his ego was bruised and he acted outside of police procedure going strictly by his ego and not the situation itself. If this officer is not fired, or suspended for his actions then the Cambridge police department is a farce.

Why would you arrest someone in their own home? As the story goes, Dr. Gates was returning to his home from a trip and with his luggage standing prominently outside a neighbor called the police thinking his home was being broken into. But, the reality was that his door was broken and he had to break it to get into his home. After he identified himself to the police officer and showed him both his Harvard ID and his drivers license (with address on it) the officer still didn’t believe him. Agitated, Dr. Gates allegedly stated to the officer, “you are doing this because I am black and you are a white officer”. By this time Harvard police also arrived and identified him as Dr. Gates. The Cambridge officer asked him to come outside whereby initially Dr. Gates refused, finally when he stepped outside the police officer states, “Now I can arrest you” and he did. So, don’t believe the hype. Dr. Gates is a pre-imminent scholar of African American history and to be treated in his manner is appalling. Instead of defusing the situation, apologizing to an obviously agitated Dr. Gates. The officer lost his cool, his ego was bruised and he acted outside of police procedure going strictly by his ego and not the situation itself. If this officer is not fired, or suspended for his actions then the Cambridge police department is a farce.