Racial Profiling? Really?

[Wilbur]

Come on, dude.  Police receive a 911 call that someone is breaking into a house.  Depending on who you believe, the 'burglars' refuse and/or comply with identifying themselves.  Someone gets arrested. 

Sounds like both sides over-reacted to me.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/21/massachusetts.harvard.professor.arrested/index.html?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,534203,00.html

[Michael71]

See following post from moderator.

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=13901.0

[TUalum0982]

the guy might be book smart, but he is lacking in the common sense dept.  All he had to do was show his ID to verify who he was.  He did not comply with the officers orders therefore brought this mess upon himself.

The officer was responding to a reportedly "black man trying to bust in through the front door".  The officer was just doing his job.  Let's reverse the roles, and say the officer just took the man for his word, an hour later they get another call saying the house has been completely ransacked.  What would this professor say then?  He would still probably grumble about racial profiling because the officer didnt do enough to check on the situation the first time.  It was a lose lose situation from the beginning it sounds like.

On the other hand, the officer could have done some things differently too.  He could have gave the professor his name and badge #, and then again asked for the gentlemans ID, but he didnt.  Hindsight is 20/20, but most of the blame should be on the professor who could have avoided this situation by simply taking 10-30 seconds out of his day to show his ID in the first place.


Can't wait to see what ol Al Sharpton has to say about this!!  Damn that man gets around, was in LA most of last month dealing with the MJ "tragedy" and now this....I bet he gets alot of frequent flyer miles!
 

[Hoss]

the guy might be book smart, but he is lacking in the common sense dept.  All he had to do was show his ID to verify who he was.  He did not comply with the officers orders therefore brought this mess upon himself....snip...
 

Hmmm...not how I heard it.  I heard he DID show them his ID that had the address on it and they still hauled him down.  But that could be inaccurate.  Even the President alluded to such in his press conference last night.  One would hope at least HE had the correct information before speaking.

[TUalum0982]

Hmmm...not how I heard it.  I heard he DID show them his ID that had the address on it and they still hauled him down.  But that could be inaccurate.  Even the President alluded to such in his press conference last night.  One would hope at least HE had the correct information before speaking.

the article I read said that after being asked for his ID, he refused, and started asking for the officers name and badge #.  He eventually gave the officer his ID, and then from how I understood it "things escalated outside" and the professor started screaming, hollering, and "causing a scene".  Once again, it all could have been avoided if he had just shown his ID, acted like a adult, and explained the situation to the officer.

Reading the accounts of each person, of course the professor is going to say he complied immediately.  I wasn't there so I have no idea who is right and wrong, but the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle of each account.  I have a hard time believing the officer would make up this story on his police report though. 

[Hoss]

the article I read said that after being asked for his ID, he refused, and started asking for the officers name and badge #.  He eventually gave the officer his ID, and then from how I understood it "things escalated outside" and the professor started screaming, hollering, and "causing a scene".  Once again, it all could have been avoided if he had just shown his ID, acted like a adult, and explained the situation to the officer.

Reading the accounts of each person, of course the professor is going to say he complied immediately.  I wasn't there so I have no idea who is right and wrong, but the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle of each account.  I have a hard time believing the officer would make up this story on his police report though. 

Hmm...you HAVE been following the OHP case, right?  I think some of that may be a fabrication.

[cannon_fodder]

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle of the two reports.  I'm sure the cop was very unkind to start with (thinking this was a burglar) and I'm sure the prof didn't think he had to show an ID to be at his own damn house.  A stalemate of sorts.

Apparently the prof did then show his ID and got belligerent.  Being a highly regarded professional he should have been able to control himself and act mature about it - thanked the cop for checking on his property (even if he thought it was profiling).  Then the cop puffed up and had to assert his authority, so he arrested the guy.  Being a highly regarded professional he should have been able to control himself and act mature about it - just leave the scene sorry he harassed a guy at his own house (even if justified).

Plenty of blame.  But at the end of the day the officer is the one with training on handling tense situations.  He should have been in control and realized arresting a man at his own home for the "crime" of being disorderly is a bad idea.  Tie break goes to the citizen.

[Mike 01Hawk]

Officer isn't apologizing.  And rightfully so.  Check out the vid.

http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/cop_who_arrested_gates_not_sorry_072209

[TUalum0982]

Hmm...you HAVE been following the OHP case, right?  I think some of that may be a fabrication.

I am sure that is a rhetorical question...but after reading yet another article, the professor says if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn't have changed a thing.  The article goes on to state that when asked for ID, he showed a Harvard ID, which I doubt has his address on it.  None the less, all this professor had to do was show his ID when the officer asked for it, end of story. 

If this officer asked a white person to show his ID to verify that he in fact does live in this house, and does not comply, I would expect the officer to do the same thing if the person starts getting loud, and making an donkey out of himself. 

And regarding the trooper situation, this specific trooper has a history of having a temper problem and going on a power trip (my guess is he was picked on in school and was somewhat of a dork, but thats just me).  I wonder if this particular officer has any type of history regarding a short temper or any type of "racial profiling".

[cannon_fodder]

My post was not meant to imply that this incident was one of racial profiling.  I don't see anything in the behavior that indicates the officer would have treated a white person he thought to be a thief any different than this black man.  Perhaps the profiling aspect should be on the neighbors who called the police upon seeing a black man "breaking in" to his own house?

[custosnox]

Perhaps the profiling aspect should be on the neighbors who called the police upon seeing a black man "breaking in" to his own house?

I had thought the same thing for a moment, then stepped back and would hope they would call in regardless of race if they saw someone with a bag on a porch shouldering in a door at night.

[TUalum0982]

My post was not meant to imply that this incident was one of racial profiling.  I don't see anything in the behavior that indicates the officer would have treated a white person he thought to be a thief any different than this black man.  Perhaps the profiling aspect should be on the neighbors who called the police upon seeing a black man "breaking in" to his own house?

his neighbors knew he was out of the country and I am sure just keeping tabs on his house while he was gone.  I would hope my neighbors would do the same thing, no matter the color of the person trying to get through the front door.  Not to mention, if I remember correctly, this all took place during the nighttime hours? Can someone correct me if I am wrong?

[custosnox]

That was my understanding.  However, looking it over, It doesn't say

[FOTD]

No greedy Wall Street Welfare Billionaire is going to be arrested for successfully breaking into his own house ...

[Wilbur]

A couple things:

One report I read said Gates started off being belligerent, then handed the officer a Harvard faculty ID, which of course, did not have his home address on it.  When the officer asked for a second ID (to confirm he did live there), things really went down hill.

I'm confident the officer would have done the same thing if the 'suspect' had been a different race, or would like to think so.