yea, they mighta picked the wrong one this time

They called the Harvard Police to verify his identity.  How would you feel if Joe Cop called your employer to verify your identity with the proof of identity you give him. He's acting if you are lying by doing that.  How many burglers take the time to get a fake ID made of the residence they are robbing.  
I'm suspicious of the neighbor...  Does she not know what he looks like?  Seeing the cane that he uses should have stopped that call to the police.  How many burglers use a cane?  LOL!

EXACTLY !!! This case YELLS out to any reasonable person as Wrong, just Wrong. Thank-you

the DA does have a case, the charge is disorderly conduct - the question isn't whether he showed his i.d. or how long it took, all you have to do to be considered "disorderly" is raise your voice to a cop - Dr. Gates already admits loud talking him, there isn't any question they've got a case.  uneducated guess as to why the charges are dropped: you're the district attorney in (maybe?) the largest city in massachusetts, your days are jammed packed with serious mess, you're gonna spend time and tax dollars prosecuting a disorderly conduct case?  IF, IF  he said any reasonable facsimile of:  you don't know who you messin with/do you know who i am?  he earned a ride in the squad car for refusing to allow that cop to save face.   being black was beside the point. 

They had a prima facie case...You STILL have to prove it! The DA even dumped the prima facie case! WHY...they can't prove nuffin and any jury would be Indignant at what Skip had to go through in his OWN Home! Also, I think the Professor is a reasonable person...ever wonder why he raised his voice and LEAD to and asked to come outside, that Cracker cop knew exactly what he was TRYING to do...Disrespect and anger the Homeowner, then lure him outside by not answering his questions, then once outside claim disordely...WHY, cause you Can't be Disordely in YOUR own home! Being Black IS the Point, Biggotry will make a person act unreasonable; the cop couldn't take being questioned and put on notice by a Black man, who is also upper middle class, in that neighborhood, in that house, working at that place. From some of the reactions in here, I now see that a white cop is not the only "type" that RESENTS a Black man in that position, with the gaul to take up for himself.

Also, Cambridge, MA is a  "hamlet" about 8  miles from Boston. They are in different counties, so Boston's DA has nothing to do with the case. Frankly, unless you are just arguing for the heck of it...any Reasonable person can see (after going through the situation) that the cop was WRONG. My guess is that the WITNESS supported Skip's story and the DA concluded that they should drop the charges. I'm just glad the Brotha is not another dead Black Man statistic.

Cops don't like for anybody to question their authority.  Case in point: the old lady who got tased.  I don't believe that the responses in this thread warrant the insinuation from Value Me that the forum consists of a bunch of "Uncle Toms."   I do believe this incident raises the on going question of how we will raise black male children to deal with police in a manner that does not endanger our safety but yet doesn't require us to forgo our civil rights and civl liberties.

I do believe this incident raises the on going question of how we will raise black male children to deal with police in a manner that does not endanger our safety but yet doesn't require us to forgo our civil rights and civl liberties.

A D.A. will not pursue a case that they believe they can't win. So no can get upset in their own house anymore? Did the neighbor tell the police who lived there? The Cambridge academic community is pretty tight-knit. I wanted to hear the 911 tapes. The story on NPR and other sites give a decidedly different viewpoint than your link. I'm just saying. I still have questions.

it's not murder it's disorderly conduct.  totally get his indignance but what surprises me is that he allowed himself to (understandably) be taken there in his reaction.  skip knows the game.  hell, he teaches the game. he was in the RIGHT, this guy has a whole soliliquoy on how black men need to interact with the police in order to avoid more conflict.  

can you get mad in your house - absolutely, can you yell on the back of a cop's neck (which he's already admitted to) while expecting no repurcussions?  hayle naw bobby.
judge: dr. gates during the course of this incident did you in fact raise your voice to officer so and so?
skip:  yes your honor i did
judge: then by statute abcd i hereby find you guilty of disorderly conduct.  pay the fine and court costs.  next case on the docket please.  

the DA can win it, but it's like cochran taking the time to litigate a parking ticket, what for? 
wanna hear the tapes too 
love lively debate - hi sharee!!! 

IMO, Dr. Gates has sufficient status, capital and good will in the academic and politcal community to cause the powers that be to cause the DA to drop the charges. 

da dropped em this morning