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Here is a clear case of someone being obstinate and then blaming it on the "white police". I work in the court system in Superior Court. Now what would you do if someone called and said it appeared someone who was described as a black male was breaking into a home? Mr. Gates is an intellectual? Is this a new joke? How many intellectuals does it take to open the front door?
Maybe next time something looks suspicious at the Gates residence, like a possible burglary, the cops should just overlook it and say "gee let's not racially profile here". Has the world gone mad? A person thinks that because he is an alleged scholar, or the number one black scholar, that he should be treated differently than any other suspect? No that would be discrimination . Wouldn't it?

The irony here is that the robbery attempt on the professor's home was most likely perpetrated by an African American. Is this a racist statement -- read the crime stats, if you can find them, and draw your own conclusions. Another unfortunate irony is that upstanding black citizens suffer the consequences of the ridiculously disproportionate criminal activity committed by a fraction of their own community. I wonder what would have happened if the good professor would have resisted getting in the face of the officer trying to do his job. Black men breaking into a residence is usually a reality, not "racial profiling".

wow.. i thought that i was going to find a bunch of comments defending the professor but that is not the case..
hey if i try to break into my house and shortly after that i see the police asking questions i will be very greatful and coaperate with them and thank my neighbor for looking out..
it doesnt take a phd to figure out that a police officer showing up in your house after someone busted the door open is a legitimate scenario for police intervention.. his ego got in the way and now i hope he pays for it..

1 question: the good neighbor, she doesn't recognize the professor?

wow, white people, this guy is a professor at HARVARD since 1991 almost 20 years and they don't know who he is. once he provided I.D. it should have been the end of the story but it wasn't. I know who gates is and I live in Florida. White people you mean to tell me that the officers didn't know whose resident that was!

Police brutality is a Social Dilemma

The professor was not arrested for breaking into his own house, he was arrested for NOT cooperating with law enforcement-nothing "black/white" about this. When a police officer asks you for your identification, by law you must show it to them or go to jail until they can confirm your identity. For a Harvard professor, he is not very smart about American laws, and very thankless for a watchful neighbor and vigilante police officers who were called to a 911 emergency of a possible break in of the professor's home.

Apparently common sense isnt very common there. If the suspects were white and he was in the area the police would have probably stopped and asked him if he had seen a couple of white guys in the area. In this case based on the limited information the article provides he fits the description and is at the scene. That isnt rocket science to say hmmm maybe we should investigate this. Ya show your license and its the same address and viola the cops leave and you have a nice warm and fuzzy feeling about the police protecting you and your hard earned property. GET OUT OF THE CLASSROOM AND INTO THE REAL WORLD!

I've been in similar situations with police, when they don't know who is who and they ask you for your i.d. In my situation, once they understood my identity and relationship to the situation they acted appropriately. If I had refused to show i.d. or had been difficult about it, I can see where I would have gone to jail. But I guess that would have been because I'm a WOMAN, right? Sounds like the good professor failed to exercise good sense or an appreciation for the officers' perspective, or both. I'm not sympathetic.

i thought ol al and jessie were messin in the jackson camp looks like ol al got bored and now hes gonna show up at the hearing for the prof. who pays for him to travel around and act like someone cares what he does is he a rev. or a bigot go help a white person just once i would love to see that

R u kidding me?

Rodney King is a prime example. Four were stopped by the police. Three cooperated and did as instructed. One, Rodney King, did not and refused to do as instructed. What ensued is regretible. However, don't know about you, but I don't believe in paying our police representatives to put themselves in harms way more than necessary.
When citizens are stopped, for whatever reason, comply with police directions. Then, if you object, file a complaint. BUT.....COMPLY FIRST!

For Pete's Sake...just because he is a "harvard professor" does not make his special and unless the officer had taken courses or knew someone involved at the college there is no reason for him to assume identity of the almighty prof. I'm sick of the race card. I feel that in the last year everything has taken a huge jump backward. The race card is being crammed down everyone's throat...black/white/green or purple. For a world that is suppose to be trying to become "color blind" it is taking major news in politics and elsewhere. No one should have special priviledges when they are beligerent. Asked for ID, routine proceedure by the way, then give the darn ID. As stated before on the ID is a pic, name and the all important address. Problem solved. President Obama owes that officer a huge apology for calling him stupid on national tv!!!

He had the cops called on him because he was having trouble getting into his house because he was robbed. You'd think he'd be a little upset.