Henry Louis Gates 911 Call Tape (HQ) - With Transcript

911 OPERATOR: 9-1-1, what is the exact location of your emergency?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: Hi, I'm actually at (inaudible) street in Cambridge, the house number is 7 Ware Street.

911 OPERATOR: OK ma'am, your cell phone cut out, what's the address again?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: Sorry, it's 7 Ware Street. That's W-A-R-E Street.

911 OPERATOR: The emergency is at 7 Ware Street, right?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: Well no, I'm sorry. 17. Some other woman is talking next to me but it's 17, 1-7 Ware Street.

911 OPERATOR: What's the phone number you're calling me from?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: I'm calling you from my cell phone number.

911 OPERATOR: All right, tell me exactly what happened?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: Um, I don't know what's happening. I just had an older woman standing here and she had noticed two gentlemen trying to get in a house at that number, 17 Ware Street. And they kind of had to barge in and they broke the screen door and they finally got in. When I had looked, I went further, closer to the house a little bit after the gentlemen were already in the house. I noticed two suitcases. So, I'm not sure if this is two individuals who actually work there, I mean, who live there.

911 OPERATOR: You think they might have been breaking in?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: I don't know 'cause I have no idea. I just noticed.

911 OPERATOR: So you're saying you think the possibility might have been there? What do you mean by barged in? You mean they kicked the door in?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: No, they were pushing the door in. Like, umm, the screen part of the front door was kind of like cut.

911 OPERATOR: How did they open the door itself with the lock?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: They, I didn't see a key or anything 'cause I was a little bit away from the door. But I did notice that they pushed their (interrupted).

911 OPERATOR: And what do the suitcases have to do with anything?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: I don't know, I'm just saying that's what I saw.

911 OPERATOR: Do you know what apartment they broke into?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: No, they're just they first floor. I don't even think that it's an apartment. It's 17 Ware Street. It's a house, it's a yellow house. Number 17. I don't know if they live there and they just had a hard time with their key but I did notice that they kind of used their shoulder to kind of barge in and they got in. I don't know if they had a key or not because I couldn't see from my angle. But, you know, when I looked a little closely that's what I saw.

911 OPERATOR: (inaudible) guy or Hispanic?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: Umm.

911 OPERATOR: Are they still in the house?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: They're still in the house, I believe, yeah.

911 OPERATOR: Were they white, black or Hispanic?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: Umm, well there were two larger men, one looked kind of Hispanic but I'm not really sure. And the other one entered and I didn't see what he looked like at all. I just saw it from a distance and this older woman was worried thinking someone's breaking in someone's house, they've been barging in. And she interrupted me and that's when I had noticed otherwise I probably wouldn't have noticed it at all, to be honest with you. So, I was just calling 'cause she was a concerned neighbor, I guess.

911 OPERATOR: OK, are you standing outside?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: I'm standing outside, yes.

911 OPERATOR: All right, the police are on the way, you can meet them then they get there. What's your name?

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: Yeah, my name is (deleted).

911 OPERATOR: All right, we're on the way.

FEMALE WITNESS CALLER: Ok. All right, I guess I'll wait. Thanks.

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[stf111]

wow, above everything else this whole situation shows the tenseness we still have today over racial divisions. only with open, honest, and friendly dialogue will we really be free of racism

also, does anyone else think that 911 OPERATOR IS ACTING LIKE A TOTAL DICK?

[GiacomoKnox]

I'm a black man as one, one who has suffered several incidents of racial profiling. A man of Gates stature and education and AGE should be ashamed of himself for still having a chip on his shoulder. Crying wolf about racial profiling diminishes actual events. Obama spoke before he knew the whole truth, which makes him a bigger fool than Gates. Need I remind some of you that Gates followed the officer outside and that's when he was arrested?

[BoSoxnation1972]

@PillarV1 Disorderly conduct is part of chapter 272 of Massachusetts penal law, - if you cause a disturbance which creates a public hazard, & serves no legitimate purpose, you can be charged with a disorderly person offense, also known as disorderly conduct. "disorderly person" is defined as one who, "with purpose to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm." This applied to Gates.

Nice try though! Stick to picking the winners on Judge Judy instead of pretending you went to law school!

[PillarV1]

@BoSoxnation1972 - and I wish you would research Mass law and see for yourself that a citizen can not be arrested for "disorderly conduct" because there is no law in that jurisdiction. Also, the 911 caller is disputing Sgt Crowley's statement - she said she did not mention that the men she saw were "two black men with back packs" - She is being represented by legal counsel! Research is better than ignorance and seem like a lot of folks are in the latter group about this situation.

[PillarV1]

@stephenabm - Actually you are wrong! The jurisdiction in Mass does not have a "disorderly conduct" rule of law, therefore the officer "illegally" arrested Professor Gates! The caller is now being represented by legal counsel - she is disputing Sgt Crowley's statement about she telling him that the men are "black men with back packs" - so technically Sgt Crowley falsified his report! Would be nice of people would carefully research and read thing a bit more closely before they pass judgement.

[stephenabm]

Mr. Gates was wrong and the police were correct in questioning him and then arresting him.

[vopat]

Whats up with all the questions. Send the cops.

[BoSoxnation1972]

I wish they would play this call on national TV to show people what a fraud Gates is.

[matchesison]

@vs1142 i agree. but what you just mentioned can start a 5 day debate covering everything from psychology to the pseudo science. trust me, i am in no position of privilege. i think more of the problem is, most middle age white men polled are probably middle class and nowhere near the inner city. likewise, many black middle class people probably view inner city people as inferior regardless of race. im all over the place with this, i apologize. i cant express myself in 500 or less.

[vs1142]

@matchesison I respect your point of view on this matter but my sense is that you are coming from a privilege position in assuming that a similar behavior on the part of a middle age white man would be viewed in the same light as that of Prof. Gates. There have been and there are numerous studies showing that whites view similar behavior in blacks and whites quite differently and, for the most part, view similar behavior on the part of blacks in a negative light.

[matchesison]

all it comes down to is a person breaking into a house with bags by the door. it looked suspicious no matter what way you spin it. all gates had to do when the cops showed up was be a little more willing and understanding of the situation. instead, he blew up. this is how cops fight crime, when people call it in. the women did the right thing, the cops did the right thing. none of it was based on race.

[matchesison]

im pretty sure white people breaking into a house would turn heads. white people dont just look the other way when other whites do crime. these "nosy" women were doing what they should have done. they reported what they thought was a crime. this is not a race issue at all. everyone assumed it was race related including obama. obama said the cops were acting stupidly for doing their job. he assumed it was race related just like you. and he was wrong.