Top scholar Gates arrested in Mass., claims racism
BOSTON — Henry Louis Gates Jr., the nation’s pre-eminent black scholar, is accusing Cambridge police of racism after he was arrested while trying to force open the locked front door of his home near Harvard University.
Cambridge police were called to the home Thursday afternoon after a woman reported seeing a man “wedging his shoulder into the front door as to pry the door open,” according to a police report.
An officer ordered the man to identify himself, and Gates refused, according to the report. Gates began calling the officer a racist and said repeatedly, “This is what happens to black men in America.”
Officers said they tried to calm down the 58-year-old academic, who responded, “You don’t know who you’re messing with,” according to the police report.
Gates was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after police said he “exhibited loud and tumultuous behavior.” He was released later that day on his own recognizance and arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 26.
Gates referred comment to his lawyer, fellow Harvard scholar Charles Ogletree, who was not immediately available. Cambridge police declined to comment, and the Middlesex district attorney’s office said it could not do so until after Gates’ arraignment. The woman who reported Gates did not return a message Monday.
Many of Gates’ African-American colleagues believe his arrest is part of a pattern of racial profiling in Cambridge, said Allen Counter, who has taught neuroscience at Harvard for 25 years.
Counter has said he was stopped on campus by two Harvard police officers in 2004 after being mistaken for a robbery suspect. They threatened to arrest him when he could not produce identification.
“We do not believe that this arrest would have happened if professor Gates was white,” Counter said. “It really has been very unsettling for African-Americans throughout Harvard and throughout Cambridge that this happened.”
Counter said he spoke to Gates, who told him police continued to question him after he showed them his license and Harvard identification.
“They did not believe him when he said that he was in his own home,” Counter said. “He was totally mistreated in this incident.”
Gates is the director of Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research and served for 15 years as chairman of what is now the Department of African and African American Research. He joined the Harvard faculty in 1991 and holds one of 20 prestigious “university professors” positions at the school.
He also was host of “African American Lives,” a PBS show about the family histories of prominent U.S. blacks. Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential Americans in 1997.
Related News
12 panelists picked to review Cambridge, Mass., police arrest of black Harvard scholar GatesSeptember 10th, 2009 12 picked to review black Harvard scholar's arrestCAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Twelve people from across the country have been chosen to serve on an independent panel to review the arrest of a black Harvard scholar at his home by a white police officer, Cambridge officials said Thursday.
Harvard scholar sends flowers, note to woman who called 911 in incident that led to his arrestAugust 1st, 2009 Gates sends flowers, note to woman who called 911BOSTON — Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. has sent flowers and a note to the woman who unwittingly sparked a national debate on race by calling police to report what she thought might be a break-in at Gates' home.
Black officer at Gates' home during arrest says he's become 'Uncle Tom' for supporting officerJuly 31st, 2009 Black cop at Gates home regrets 'Uncle Tom' labelCAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A black sergeant who was at the home of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.
911 caller in Harvard scholar case says she chose her words carefully when she called policeJuly 29th, 2009 911 caller in Gates case hurt by racial disputeCAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The woman who reported a possible break-in at the home of black Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.
911 call: Woman who reported break-in at home of arrested Harvard scholar doesn't mention raceJuly 27th, 2009 911 call in Gates case does not mention raceCAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A woman who called 911 to report a possible break-in at the home of black Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Black Harvard scholar accepts White House meeting offer with Mass. officer who arrested himJuly 25th, 2009 Black scholar accepts White House meeting offerBOSTON — Black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. says he will accept President Barack Obama's invitation to visit him at the White House along with the white police officer who arrested the Harvard professor.
Obama says he should've 'recalibrated' his remarks on arrest of black scholarJuly 24th, 2009 Obama regrets choice of words in scholar's arrestWASHINGTON — Trying to tamp down an uproar over race, President Barack Obama said Friday he used an unfortunate choice of words in commenting on the arrest of black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and could have "calibrated those words differently."
The president said he had telephoned the white policeman who arrested Gates, and he said the conversation confirmed his belief that the officer was a good man and an outstanding officer.
Mass. police unions demand Obama, gov. apologize for comments over Henry Louis Gates arrestJuly 24th, 2009 Mass. police unions ask Obama for apologyCAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A multiracial group of police officers on Friday stood with the white officer who arrested a prominent black Harvard scholar and asked President Barack Obama and Gov.
Black officer at Gates home during arrest said scholar acted strange, supports arrestJuly 24th, 2009 Black officer at scholar's home supports arrestCAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A black police officer who was at Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s home when the black Harvard scholar was arrested says he fully supports how his white fellow officer handled the situation.
Only other officer in black scholar's house during arrest says cops followed protocolJuly 24th, 2009 2nd cop says they went by book in Gates arrestBOSTON — The second Cambridge, Mass., police officer who was inside the home of renowned black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. during his arrest says he and the arresting officer "followed protocols."
Patrolman Carlos Figueroa says he and Sgt.
Mass. arrest of black Harvard scholar stirs national debate; officer says he won't apologizeJuly 23rd, 2009 Arrest of black scholar stirs national debateNATICK, Mass. — A white police sergeant who arrested renowned black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Obama says racism still 'haunts' US, says police acted 'stupidly' in arrest of Harvard scholarJuly 23rd, 2009 Obama says police acted 'stupidly' in arrestWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Wednesday that police acted "stupidly" in the arrest of prominent black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and that despite racial progress blacks and Hispanics are still singled out unfairly for arrest.
APNewsBreak: Source says police recommend dropping charge against black Harvard scholarJuly 21st, 2009 AP source: No charge against black Harvard scholarBOSTON — A person with knowledge of the case against Henry Louis Gates Jr. says police are recommending that the charge against the prominent Harvard University black scholar be dropped.
Charges dropped against black Harvard scholar; police call arrest 'regrettable, unfortunate'July 21st, 2009 Charges dropped against black Harvard scholarBOSTON — Prosecutors dropped a disorderly conduct charge Tuesday against prominent black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., who was arrested by a white officer at his home near Harvard University after a report of a break-in. The city of Cambridge issued a statement saying the arrest "was regrettable and unfortunate," and police and Gates agreed that dropping the charge was a just resolution.
Prominent Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. arrested at home over 'loud behavior'July 20th, 2009 Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates arrested at homeBOSTON — Henry Louis Gates Jr. has been charged with disorderly conduct at his home near Harvard University.
Loading ...