Obama: Cambridge police acted stupidly

Cambridge Sgt. James M Crowley told a FOX reporter that he does not plan to apologize for arresting President Barack Obama's friend. 

"I know what I did was right. I have nothing to apologize for," said Crowley.

Obama said on Wednesday night that police acted "stupidly" in the arrest of prominent black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Gates Jr., director of Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, was arrested after a neighbor confused him with a burglar.

In a statement, Gates Jr.'s attorney said his client had just arrived from China where he had been working on a PBS documentary entitled "Faces of America."

While unable to open his front door, Gates entered his home through a back door, turned off his alarm, and asked his driver to help him open the front door.

A neighbor who saw the two men struggling with the door called police and said that "two black males with backpacks" were breaking into a house. Police showed up to make an arrest. 

"My understanding is that Professor Gates then shows his I.D. to show that this is his house, and at that point he gets arrested for disorderly conduct," said Obama.

The police report states Gates Jr. called the Sgt. a racist and shouted while led away in handcuffs: "This is what happens to black men in America!"

Gates Jr. said he is not ready to forgive Crowley for the fabrications in the police report.

Gates Jr.'s attorney said his client spent four hours in jail and was released that evening. The charges were later dropped, the Cambridge Mayor issued an apology, and Cambridge police called the arrest "regrettable and unfortunate."

Crowley maybe considering to sue Gates for defamation, ABC is reporting. His record also shows a black police commissioner once picked him to teach recruits how to avoid racial profiling.

"I am not a racist," said Crowley in a Boston Globe report.

Crowley, 42, said he once tried to save the life of another prominent African-American man. When Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis collapsed, and had no pulse while practicing at a gym, Crowley performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Lewis died.

Some of Crowley's colleagues told a Globe reporter that “racism is not part of it, and that is what is frustrating. The fact that the police department dropped the charges makes the police officer look like he is wrong.’’

Obama said he wasn't sure if race played a part in Gates Jr.'s arrest, but added that despite racial progress in the U.S. blacks and Hispanics are still singled out unfairly for arrest. 

Watch a video of an expert discussing the arrest.

Comments

[Elaine]

Mr. Gates did not try to sneak into his home as the reporter stated. Mr. Gates tried to enter his home. The displaced residents of Hurricane Katrina were not refugees but victims of a terrible storm. Terms used to describe events involving certain groups/classes of people at times gives insight into that particular writers personal feelings. Perhaps it's really hard for journalist/reporters to just state the facts but try harder. I'd appreciate it. If I want an opinion I will read Leonard Pitts column.