BOSTON -- The Cambridge police officer at the center of the controversy that has erupted since Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested at his home last week teaches a racial profiling class at a local police academy, the Lowell Police Department said Thursday.

Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley has taught the class at the Lowell Police Academy for five years, Lowell police Deputy Deborah Friedl said.

Lowell Police Academy Director Thomas Fleming described Crowley to the Boston Herald as "very professional" and a "good role model." Fleming also said Crowley was hand-picked to teach the class by former Cambridge Police Commissioner Ronny Watson, who is black.

On Thursday morning, Crowley spoke out on WEEI's "The Dennis and Callahan" morning show about the incident and about President Barack Obama's comment that the Cambridge Police Department acted "stupidly."

"He is the president of the United States. I support the president to a point. I think it's disappointing that he waded into what should be a local issue," Crowley said. "I think it was very disappointing."

A lawyer for the Cambridge Superior Officers association told ABC that the president was "dead wrong to malign this police officer specifically and the department in general."

Alan McDonald defended the police department, saying it is "dedicated to non-discrimination."

"It was inappropriate to use the situation to implicate the history of racism in America. This had nothing to do with race and everything to do with Gates' behavior," McDonald said.

Crowley said when he first encountered Gates on the day of the arrest, he asked Gates to step outside of the home because a witness reported seeing more than one person trying to gain access to the home and that he feared for his safety.

"I have to go home at night. I have three beautiful children and a wife who depend on me," Crowley said.

Crowley said that Gates refused to step outside the home, so he then asked Gates if there was anyone else in the home.

"I wanted to know if there was anyone else there. 'Are you there by yourself?'" Crowley said.

The officer said that Gates did not look like a person who would break into a home, but the tone of his voice was "peculiar" as he was responding to Crowley's questions.

"He said, 'I live here.' When I asked for ID, he asked for my ID," Crowley said. "If that is all the guy needs to comply with my reasonable request, I will show it to him."

Gates walked into his kitchen and supplied Crowley with his Harvard identification card, not his driver's license, according to the officer. Crowley said that Gates was arrested after the Harvard professor followed him out of the house and "continuing the tirade after being warned a number of times."

"He was cautioned in the house -- 'Calm down. Lower your voice,'" Crowley said. "There are so many things in this incident that keep me scratching my head. I was not aware of who Professor Gates was. I was amazed that someone of his intelligence could stoop to such a level and berate me and accuse me of being a racist."

Gates has demanded an apology, but Crowley said that he "certainly would not" be apologizing.

When asked if there was anything he'd do differently, Crowley said no and joked that he'd "maybe take the fire test instead of the police test."