Black Harvard Professor arrested after breaking into his own home?

Collectively speaking, they do. But individually, based on their shift, position or even the town or area they patrol, some don't. And sometimes, some of those guys do things they're not supposed to, that violate rights and actually endanger lives. The President isn't any more closely allied with the cops than he is with the private citizen who may have been unnecessarily arrested; so if the cops appear to be out line, the President is entitled to say it.

 

You have to identify yourself, that doesn't mean you have to hand over a state ID/DL.

 

Would there be any problem if he would have handed over his ID/DL?

And when a cop asks you for your ID, do you give him your DL or some other form of ID that is not acceptable in many places?

Cops have never accepted my school ID, they always want a DL. To me, it sounds like this guy wanted to start something and cause a commotion

 

In that hypothetical scenario, would suspicion of an untruthful identification for the purpose of possibly committing a crime create probable cause for arrest?

 

if you are driving and they stopped you for some violation, you will have to show your DL

but if you're in your own house and not driving do you still have to show your DL and a valid Harvard employment ID is not sufficient?

also rhino17, before we move on, please thoroughly read the police report first http://www.scribd.com/doc/17512090/Gates-Incident-Report-Redacted

 

Is it illegal to be belligerent toward a police officer? I'm not asking to try to make a point or use it against somebody. I honestly want to know. I know the police can probably trump up some kind of charge to fine you, arrest you, etc. but is it right?

 

What you're saying makes no sense. First, you try to minimize the job that police officers do by saying they don't all risk their lives daily or don't do it based on what time of day it is. That's ridiculous. Police officers have been killed at many different times during the day, there's no doubt.

The President is entitled to say it? Well sure he is, he's the President of the United States, but I would hope that my President would use some discretion and some common sense before commenting on something like this before all the facts are known (If he has to comment on it at all). Now, if you're a cop, you need to think twice about arresting a friend of President Obama, he'll prejudge you.

Just grea.t

 

Don't they choose to do that though?

 

You can be detained if you are suspected of committing a crime or falsely identifying yourself. But that's not what he was arrested for and in the Officer's report, he had already decided that Gates was the resident of the house before he even asked for his ID.

 

Choosing to do it doesn't minimize what they're doing...choosing to do it is what makes those people exceptional people.

I don't know why I'm defending police now...sheesh...

 

so does this mean they are never wrong? do you think we don't need something like Internal Affairs?

 

The guy clearly was trying to start some type of event or something. I don;t care who you are, when someone asks for you ID, everyone gives them a DL, that's just how it is. The guy was claiming racist from the start. I have a very hard time believing he was not being a total prick.

 

"Show me your papers" - Nazi Germany

 

again have you thouroughly read the police report?

hint: did the cop specifically ask for a DL or just a photo ID sufficient?

 

Most of them probably don't go in thinking that way though. It's just a job like any other job. Just because they risk their lives they don't deserve any shields from judgments, opinion, wrongdoing, etc. I respect them for the job they do (if they're worth that respect) but they do and chose that job, if they do not want to risk their lives then find another job.

 

That's a sad attitude, and if they're going to be a cop on the streets, believe me, they go in there thinking that...

And I don't think I said they deserve any shields from judgments, opinion, etc...

 

so what do they deserve?

 

How does "They risk their lives daily" translate into "they are never wrong"? How does that enable you to ask this question? It makes no sense. I didn't say they were never wrong. I've had family members and close friends wronged by police officers, I know bad police officers. There definitely needs to be internal affairs.

Your argument is weak and makes no sense. "They risk their lives daily" isn't meant to be some immunity to law for the police officers, it's mean to serve as a reminder (in my mind) that they deserve a little more respect for the job that they do. Is that too hard to understand?

 

i read it. All I was saying is that if he would have just answered his door like a normal person and handed the cop a normal ID, there would have been no problem, thats just how I feel.

 

lol - so by your own logic, you are comparing the cop to a nazi????

now talk about laughable.