...by arresting Gates? Nobody but himself, and he could have done accomplished the same thing by leaving, once he established that Gates was the resident, which according to Crowley's own report, he did before arresting Gates. After that, it was just a power trip for Crowley.

I fail to see how it protects anybody for a person to refuse a request from a police officer responding to a 911 call. Crowley appears to be the only person operating in the real world.

tonydavisnelson:

I fail to see how it protects anybody for a person to refuse a request from a police officer responding to a 911 call. Crowley appears to be the only person operating in the real world.

1) What request did Gates refuse? According to Crowley's own report, GAtes provided him with a Harvard ID and driver's license.

2) Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct- not for refusing a request. Who did Gates's disorderly conduct endanger?

According to the police report, a crowd had gathered out front, and Gates's exhortations were agitating the crowd.

johnskrb:

According to the police report, a crowd had gathered out front, and Gates's exhortations were agitating the crowd.

I just re-read the police report. It does say that citizens and police officers heard Gates' yelling, but it was unclear how many citizens it was, as the previous paragraph speaks only of a crowd of Harvard and Cambridge police officers. I don't know that there was a "crowd" of citizens. In any event, I'm glad that that crowd of citizens was spared the further horror of hearing GAtes' exhortations, although I gotta think that they would have been protected from the exhortations had Crowley simply said alright, I see its your house, sorry for the inconvenince, and just left.

by Gates extreme and uncalled for racist attitude.

In what way would things have been different if Gates had been white?

blueskies:

by Gates extreme and uncalled for racist attitude.

In what way would things have been different if Gates had been white?

That question has been asked main times on these forums. A better question might be how would Gates reaction have been different had Crowley been black.

Gates' apparent idiocy doesnt warrant an arrest.

I have personality problems but im not sure I would have arrested Gates (and if I were PD I'm pretty sure i'd abuse my power in a fascistic manner)