An investigation into the July 2009 confrontation between Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sergeant James Crowley released by the Cambridge Review Committee a “group of law enforcement officials, community members and experts on race relations and conflict resolution” that has apparently been looking into this for nearly a year has reached the rather self-evident conclusion that both men could have handled the situation more calmly and communicated better with one another.
“Sergeant Crowley and Professor Gates each missed opportunities to ‘ratchet down’ the situation and end it peacefully,” the report said. “The Committee believes that the incident was sparked by misunderstanding and failed communications between the two men.”
Well, we’re all human after all. But at least we learn from our mistakes, so that something like this can be avoided in the future, and, just maybe, move us toward a state of racial harmony.
Both men told the panel they would not have acted differently now.
Oh.
Officer and Professor Faulted for Confrontation at Home [NYT]
Report: Harvard prof, police sergeant share blame [CNN]
