Let me get this staight. A police officer walks into someones home, univited, claiming to be investigating reports of breaking and entering, and demands some identification. The occupant provides the identification and requests the name and badge number of the investigating officer. The officer does not respond. The ID establishes that this is the resident and rightful occupant of the home. He aks again for the officer to provide his name and badge id. The officer again does not respond. The officer walks out onto the porch, and the legal resident follows him, continuing to request his badge number.

At that point, the investigating officer turns and informs the resident, "You are under arrest for disorderly conduct." He then transports the resident to jail, when he is processed and left cooling his heels for 4 hours waiting to be released onto his own recognizance.

In addition, the resident is an elderly gentleman who has established that he is a Harvard professor, with no prior arrest record.

Incomprehensible isn't it? Sounds unprofessional, doesn't it? Now, let's add one more fact to the stack. The resident is black.

He has asked for an apology, on the grounds that he was unfairly and illegaly arrested. The arresting officer has refused. What is the basis for this refusal? Does he resent the man asking for the apology? Why? Does he feel he has done nothing wrong, and caused no injury to the resident? Does he feel that apologizing is an admission of wrong doing, or weakness?

My own view is that his decision to arrest Professor Gates in the first place, is illuminated by his refusal to offer an apology. He truly has no regrets? He is on the verge of becoming the poster child for racial profiling and he has NO REGRETS?

What was the crime that Professor Gates committed. Oh--the arresting officer says he was loud. And what exactly is: tumultuous? That sounds like my washing machine in full agitation mode. Is it against the law to be tumultuous, if no bodily conduct or threatening behavior is involved?

Is it a crime to ask an officer for their badge number? Should a citizen be arrested for doing so?