BOSTON (AP) _ An independent review of last year's arrest of black Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. by a white police sergeant says both men missed opportunities to “ratchet down'' the situation and end things more calmly.
The review was released Wednesday, June 30. It says “misunderstandings and failed communications'' and a “certain degree of fear'' each man had for the other led to the confrontation.
It was compiled by a 12-member panel assembled in September.
Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley arrested Gates for disorderly conduct at his home July 16 while investigating a possible burglary. Gates alleged he was a victim of racial profiling. Charges were later dropped.
The conflict sparked a national debate on race relations, and President Barack Obama invited both men to the White House for a “beer summit.''
Pictured above are Sgt. James Crowley, left, and Henry Louis Gates Jr., right.
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