Reply #14: You would have exercised your rights? [View All]

If I was the responding officer (responding to a reported burglary in progress) and upon arrival I located a person in the residence (whether they were white, black, brown, yellow, green, or multi-colored) I would absolutely be requesting they step out on the front porch and to provide me with identification that they did in fact live in the residence as so claimed. If you want to exercise some "right" against authority at the point and refuse, then as the officer I would show you it would be my lawful "right" to place you under arrest for obstruction of justice (a misdemeanor offense for interfering with an officers investigation). At least Gates in this case used better judgment then Frylock would have by eventually complying with the officers request - albeit with being somewhat confrontational toward the officer.
Gates should have used his intellect a little more in this case and less playing of the race card. And what color he is would make ZERO difference to me as an officer if i was the one responding. A white homeowner in the same circumstance would be asked to do the same things Gates was asked.
In fact, when I was moving out of a house I had been leasing recently, the home alarm went off. The neighbors, thinking I had already vacated the house called the police thinking it may be a break-in. They arrived and came inside and needed to see I.D. or proof that it was my house. This was not a please if you don't mind kinda request....it was do it so we know you're not the bad guy. I obliged them . They followed me to a back bedroom to get my wallet , watching me ever so closely (yes, even though I was white they had to be careful, and keep officer safety priority number one until I had in fact provided my I.D., which of course I did).
In my case, when I showed the I.D. to the officers they said "Ok, very good, thanks"...and I replied,,,"No problem...I appreciate you guys checking out my alarm". Isn't that how the Gates case SHOULD have ended? I can only imagine what would or could have transpired had I flown off the handle at the cops for having the audacity to question me about what I was doing in my OWN home? No matter what my color would have been (and it is white) I can see how that kind of response could quickly go bad for all involved.