Which Story Will Be Written?

Now that the 911 tapes and the police transmissions have been released by the Cambridge Police Department it will be very interesting to see how the media tries to spin it. Last week I documented a discrepancy in the police report between the two responding officers' accounts. Now there is a bigger discrepancy and a very curious development to consider.

The discrepancy is that the woman who called 911, Lucia Whalen, never identifies the people who she thinks may be breaking into the house as being black. In fact she never even ventures a guess about their ethnicity until prompted to do so by the dispatcher and then she says possibly hispanic. Now some people are spinning this as bad for Henry Louis Gates Jr, but I don't see that at all. The report was written after the incident and the question has to be asked, why did the officer make it seem as if the woman identified the men as being black men. Sounds a lot like trying to make the facts fit the crime.

Also, although it couldn't be called a discrepancy, the tone of Ms Whalen is not one of certainty at all. In fact she makes sure to note that these men had suitcases (not backpacks as has been reported) and that they may just live at the residence. That is not the story we have been sold by the Cambridge police department which tried to make it seem like Crowley thought his life might be in danger.

Now the curious development is this, Crowley called for more back up AFTER he admitted having seen Gates' ID and believing it was his house.

Sgt. James Crowley said he was with a man who claims to live in the house and with identification showing he was Gates. Crowley said the man was not cooperating and told the dispatcher to "keep the cars coming."

Now we have all pretty much seen pictures of Professor Gates at this point. Are we really to believe that Crowley felt threatened by Gates and thought he needed help apprehending him. Well the thing of it is, Crowley never claims to feel threatened in any way in his own police report. He probably felt humiliated no doubt but you don't arrest people for humiliating you. But bigger than that, at that point he knows no crime has been committed. What exactly is Gates being "uncooperative" about that would require even his own presence, let alone the need for more back up?



Now the question is, how will the media report this. Its not even a judgement call anymore here. The police report was obviously factually incorrect. We hear Crowley calling for backup after learning it was Gates' house. What else is there to even consider?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy