What does the Massachusetts law say?

And then I have another question.

I am not sure that 'right' and 'wrong' enter into this tempest in a teacup. Legal and illegal do apply, however. But what does it boil down to? A cop is dispatched to investigate a report of a break in. The resident, just returned from traveling halfway around the world, is stressed and tired. He hears 'something' in the tone or manner of the officer to cause him to feel he is begin harrassed in his own home. He expresses this, along with the concern that he is being hassled in his own home because of his racial identity. He asks for the officers badge number.

That is pretty much it. Whether Gates elevated the volume of his voice, whether he waved his hands in the air, whether he asked the same question in rapid succession--they are stylistic details.

Police officers are agents we depend on to assure the public safety. What public's safety was in jeopardy here? What did Gates do or say that was illegal? Was this a legitimate arrest? Many people say Gates acted improperly. Some say the officer did. I know that I would have acted differently, if I were either Gates, or the Cop, but I believe there is a time and a place to fight for your rights, and this was probably not it. However, what did Gates do that was so wrong? And why did the officer REALLY arrest Gates? If it was a legitimate arrest, why drop the charges? Either they could make the case or they couldn't. I have never heard of a case being dropped that the District Attorney belived they could make in court. Doesn't that say something about the case? Either way, the whole incident is something of a Rorschach test.

Here's my take for what it's worth. Gate's crime - pissing off a cop.

The Cambridge Police officer's mistake allowing a cranky old man to get under his skin.

As to what he was charged with, Disorderly Conduct. No way this could have held up. In order for this to have stuck in MA Gate's would have had to been in a public place affecting the general public. Not in his own home and yes the front porch does constitute part of his domicile. Being rude to a police office is not a crime.

Why would a police officer refuse to give out his name and badge number? Aren't they required to do so when asked?

Again, without knowing all the facts, the officer apparently could not arrest anyone in their own home, so he had to WAIT until the homeowner left his home and walked outside.

Did the officer do just that? If so, then what he did was wrong.

In TX, we have a lot of stupid laws and the way that officers make these types of "stupid" arrests is to get an individual to go outside of the location where the investigation is occurring.

I don't know is this is what happened, but given that the police are not releasing information, I will assume that is what happened and the police officer didn't know who the citizen was...or it never would have happened.

Just 2 more questions. Do police in Boston all travel alone and call for back-up only when they think it is needed? If this was a home invasion report, then how does one officer think he can catch anyone, as most homes have a front and back door.

Your title doesn't really cut to the meat of this issue. Gates doesn't need to be defended.

The bottom line - and the reason why Crowley will continue to take the lion's share of the heat - is that Gates was in his own home at the time of the encounter, and produced proof of his identity and place of residence prior to being arrested.

Unless Crowley had some reason to suspect that Gates was engaging in some other criminal behavior, the moment he reviewed the Harvard and Massachusetts ID cards, his job was done. Since neither Crowley nor the CPD has asserted anything other than Gates disturbing the peace (on his own property, of course), it is safe to assume that no such reason exists. Ergo, Crowley went way over the line.

Notice that, in all the CPD's public talk since this happened, they have yet to offer a defense for arresting Gates at his home. There's a good reason for that: it's indefensible to anyone with more than two functioning synapses.

As for believing Crowley's report...well, I really don't give it much credence. (I don't give a lot of the Gates recounting much credence either, but it seems to be agreed that Gates produced ID before being arrested.)

I'm very very white, and I've had my share of police encounters like this one, so I'm perfectly open to the possibility that Gates was too quick to assume that Crowley was racially profiling. It's also entirely possible that Gates was jet-lagged, cranky, argumentative, even abusive. So what!? Remind me, which of those things is against the law? Crowley's own account makes it clear that he is one more arrogant, power-hungry cop, convinced he deserves respect because of his fucking badge, not because of the strength of his character. I hope the press never gets off his lawn. I hope his lawn is ruined. I hope his life is ruined.