Officer Crowley: “I’m not apologizing”

The story was posted today at the Boston Herald:

The Cambridge cop who arrested Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. told the Herald tonight he will never apologize.

“I know I’m not apologizing. It’s not that I’m digging in my heels, I just have nothing to apologize for,” said Sgt. James Crowley.

Crowley: a man, not a signifying monkey

The 42-year-old officer spoke to the Herald on the porch of his suburban home. He said he feels bad about the fallout from last week’s arrest, but he’s not going to give Gates an apology.

Gates is demanding an apology from Crowley and said he’s considering legal action against Cambridge following his arrest Thursday after Crowley was called to the professor’s home following a report of a possible break-in.

Crowley said he wasn’t racial profiling when he made the arrest.

“Those who know me know I’m not” a racist, he said tonight. “The entire incident is regrettable for the community, for Harvard, for the professor and for me and my family.”

He added he’s been asked to keep quiet about specifics about the arrest, but he said he’s not ducking the issue either.

“I don’t hold any ill feelings toward the professor. I’m certainly not expecting or demanding an apology from him, because I know it’s never coming,” he added.

Asked if he would consider meeting with Gates, Crowley said it would be possible.

“If I saw something positive coming out of it, I would consider it upon the advice of the police commissioner.”

Posted by Lawrence Auster at July 22, 2009 11:30 PM | Send