Sergeant Heard Calling Gates 'Uncooperative' On Call
City 'Moving Forward' After Controversial Arrest
POSTED: 11:47 am EDT July 27,
2009
UPDATED: 5:58 pm EDT July 27,
2009
BOSTON -- The police officer who responded to a 911 call about a possible break-in at Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s home called the Harvard scholar "uncooperative" as he was questioning him at his Cambridge home.
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Listen: Cambridge Police Radio Calls In Gates Case
The Cambridge Police Department Monday released the 911 call and radio dispatches made during Gates' July 16 arrest. Gates was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge as he was trying to force open the front door of his home. Gates accused Sgt. James Crowley, the arresting officer, of being a racist.During radio communication with the dispatcher, Crowley said Gates was not cooperating and told the dispatcher to "keep the cars coming."Crowley responded to the home on Ware Street after Lucia Whalen, 40, who is of Portuguese descent, called police to report that two men may be breaking into a home. She said she was walking down Ware Street when a concerned neighbor stopped her."An older woman noticed two gentlemen trying to get into a house at that number at 17 Ware St. They kind of had to barge in and they broke the screen door, and they finally got in. When I looked, I went further closer to the house after the gentlemen were already in the house. I noticed two suitcases. So I am not sure of these were two individuals who actually work there, I mean who live there," she said."What do you mean by barge in? Did they kick the door in?" the dispatcher said."No. They were pushing the door in, like the screen part of the front door," Whalen said. "I didn't see a key or anything because I was a little bit away from the door.""I don't know if they live there and they had a hard time with their key, but I noticed they had to use their shoulder to barge in, and they got in. I didn't notice if they had a key or not, because I couldn't see from my angle," Whalen said.Whalen's attorney, Wendy Murphy, said Whalen was aware of recent break-ins in the area.Whalen told the dispatcher that the men were still in the house."Are they white, black or Hispanic?" the dispatcher said."There were two larger men. One looked kind of Hispanic but I am not sure. The other one entered, and I did not see him at all," she said.Earlier Monday, officials announced the creation of a new committee devoted to conflict resolution and examining police policies. "I am committed to making sure that our city is not defined by that day. Today is the day to move forward," Cambridge City Manager Robert Healy said. "(We) are pleased to announce that the city has taken significant steps toward that end."A group of nationally recognized experts will help the city determine what lessons officials can learn from Gates' arrest. The committee will develop recommendations that the department can use as guidance in the future, Healy said."The mission of this committee is larger than a mere investigation into the events of July 16. While it is important for the committee to understand those events, this committee will not be conducting an internal investigation, nor will it make any official judgments on the actions of the officers in the department. Rather, the committee will identify lessons to be taken from the circumstances surrounding the incident and how those lessons can be applied to the policies, practices and training programs of the Cambridge Police Department," Healey said. On Friday, Crowley received an unexpected phone call from President Barack Obama, who called to clarify his comments about the arrest. Crowley suggested that he, Gates and the president discuss the controversial arrest over a beer.Gates told Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, "If Sgt. Crowley and the president and I meet, it's clearly not going to be like 'Judge Joe Brown,' OK? You tell your side; you tell your side. We have to agree to disagree. But I would be surprised if somebody didn't say, 'I'm sorry you were arrested.'"The White House meeting may take place in the next few days.Crowley reported to work on Monday morning, but did not comment on the ongoing controversy.
Previous Stories:
- July 27, 2009: Gates' 911 Caller Didn't Specify Race
- July 26, 2009: Analysis: What They Saw During Gates Arrest
- July 25, 2009: Gates: It's Time To 'Move On' From Arrest
- July 25, 2009: Gates Accepts White House Meeting Offer
- July 24, 2009: Crowley 'Profoundly Grateful' After Talking To Obama
- July 24, 2009: 'Insulted' Police Demand Apology From Obama, Patrick
- July 24, 2009: 2nd Cop Says They Went By Book In Gates Arrest
- July 24, 2009: Arresting Officer To Speak Out About Gates Incident
- July 23, 2009: Patrick: Gates' Case 'Troubling, Upsetting'
- July 23, 2009: Cambridge Officers 'Deeply Pained' By Obama Remark
- July 23, 2009: Obama: Cambridge Cop 'Outstanding,' But 'Cooler Heads Should Have Prevailed'
- July 23, 2009: Crowley Disappointed Obama 'Waded Into Local Issue'
- July 23, 2009: Gates' Arresting Officer Teaches Racial Profiling Class
- July 23, 2009: Mayor Wants To Sit Down With Gates, Officer
- July 23, 2009: Gates Arresting Officer Tried To Save Reggie Lewis
- July 23, 2009: Obama: Cambridge Police Acted 'Stupidly'
- July 23, 2009: Gates' Arrest Stirs National Debate
- July 22, 2009: Arresting Officer Won't Apologize To Harvard Scholar
- July 22, 2009: Harvard President Drew Faust's Statement On Gates
- July 22, 2009: 'Beg My Forgiveness,' Gates Tells Cambridge Cop
- July 21, 2009: Gates Charges 'Regrettable,' Police Say
- July 21, 2009: Harvard Scholar Refutes Police Account Of Arrest
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