911 caller in Gates case unsure it was break-in -- routine call -- no audio of Gates shouting

[jefferson_dem]

911 caller in Gates case unsure it was break-in
Email|Link|Comments (179) July 27, 2009 02:10 PM

The caller who alerted Cambridge police to a possible break-in at the house of Henry Louis Gates Jr. earlier this month told a dispatcher that she had seen two suitcases on the porch and said she wasn't sure if it was a break-in.

"I don't know what's happening. ... I don't know if they live there and they just had a hard time with their key, but I did notice they had to use their shoulders to try to barge in," the caller said in a recording of the call released today by Cambridge officials.

In a recording of police radio transmissions also released today, the dispatcher asked officers to "respond to a possible B and E in progress," saying the caller had reported two people had "barged their way into the home. They have suitcases."

The recordings appeared to reflect a relatively routine call, with officers and even the 911 caller mostly calm. Cambridge city officials released the recordings in an effort to put behind them the heated national debate over racial profiling that began when news broke that Sergeant James M. Crowley, who is white, had arrested Gates for disorderly conduct at his own home.

The recordings were released after a noon news conference held by City Manager Robert Healy, Mayor E. Denise Simmons, and Police Commissioner Robert Haas.

Asked what the tapes show, Haas said, "I think the tapes speak for themselves and I would ask you to form your own opinion."

One thing the tapes didn't show: any obvious background sound that indicated Gates was shouting during the incident. An officer can be heard at one point describing the person in the house as "uncooperative" and a second person can be heard saying something unintelligible in the background as the officer transmits.

<SNIP>

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/cambridge_polic_4.html

AUDIO of tapes here - http://thepoliticalcarnival.blogspot.com/2009/07/videos-cambridge-911-call-excerpts.html

[BuyingThyme]

1. Nobody had arrived, so there was nobody to shout at.

And the caller was probably nowhere within shouting range anyways.

[goodhue]

3. The released tapes include not only 911 tape but also dispatch throughout incident

Including Crowley calling Gates uncooperative . . .

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqwi0TSVtxC458-6AKpUuaTpH5FgD99MU7GG3

[joeybee12]

4. But wouldn't dispatch have to be called...my point being it's not a running

tape recorder that is catching everything...it's a radio the police have to turn on for dispatch to hear them speak.

[joeybee12]

2. Nobody ever said he was shouting when he was trying to get in...

...the alleged shouting was when the police arrived.

[Wickerman]

5. How come so many of the commenters there only agree it was an issue of racism

when it it the African American guy (who many identify) as the racist party?

To even mention race is now "the victim card". :eyes:

I swear to God these right wing keyboard warriors get together every Monday morning and hand out talking points to post on the internets - how to turn up to down, right to left, and inside to out.

[Spazito]

6. It seems the police called for the 'wagon'....

Would that be the 'paddy wagon'?

From the article:

"One minute into the tape, Sgt. James Crowley is heard saying “can you have the caller come to the front door” to which the dispatcher replies “it’s not her house.”

Forty seconds later Crowley says a man is being “uncooperative” and seconds later asks for Harvard Police. “Keep the cars coming,” he says.

Gates’ voice can not easily be heard. You do hear police call for “the wagon.”"


Looking at the time sequence as related in the article:

One minute into the tape, Crowley has not yet encountered Dr. Gates

40 seconds later Crowley is saying "the man is being "uncooperative""

Seconds later Crowley asks for the Harvard Police and says "Keep the cars coming."

So, it seems Sgt. Crowley took ONE MINUTE 42-3? SECONDS from the point of interacting with Dr. Gates to want to "Keep the cars coming."

How soon after that did the "police call for "the wagon."?

[Fumesucker]

7. On another thread it was related that the reason many cars showed up

Was because Crowley didn't answer his radio, it is starting to sound as if that is an erroneous statement.

[Spazito]

8. If that 'reason' was given by the Cambridge Police as opposed to....

someone speculating that would certainly generate more questions rather than less. Did you just read that today on the thread?

[Fumesucker]

9. I believe that I did read that earlier today..

I know I read that but I've read enough from several different sites that I'm not entirely sure it was at DU but it probably was.

Edited to change "entirely sure" to "not entirely sure"..

Bad keyboard, bad.. :)

[Spazito]

10. Thanks! I will peruse the threads to see if I can find it... n/t