User talk:Justmeherenow/Crowley's fellow officer

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0907/24/acd.01.html

SERGEANT LEON LASHLEY, CAMBRIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT: I was relieved that he came up, and, hopefully, with that statement that came out from President Obama, we can put an end to this.

COOPER: As far as you're concerned, it's time to move on? LASHLEY: Yes, definitely. It's time -- but I also agree with the president that it's -- in that we -- we do have to continue to fight the fight of ending racism and ending the discrimination that goes on in this country when it's there. And...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: But, in -- in your opinion, this is not a case where it is there?

LASHLEY: This definitely was not a case where it is involving racism.

COOPER: I understand you were -- you spoke with Sergeant Crowley after he spoke with the president. I think you may have even been there while he was speaking to the president.

What was Sergeant Crowley's reaction to the president's call?

LASHLEY: He was -- he thinks -- he said that the president is a class guy. He felt that he was -- he supported him in the beginning. He supported him during it. Even after his statements, he still supported President Obama. And he was just really relieved, and that, hopefully, this will put an end to it.

COOPER: Take us -- take us through that day. What happened when you got the call to Professor Gates' house? You came after other officers had arrived, correct?

LASHLEY: Yes. Yes, I did.

I -- I arrived on the scene. There was -- Officer Crowley -- Sergeant Crowley and Officer Figueroa were inside the building -- or inside the house. I stepped on the sidewalk where the call -- the caller was on scene. And she was giving an interview with Officer Rosa (ph), who was speaking to her.

And I sent another couple officers inside to see what was going on. I stayed out with Officer Rosa.

COOPER: And, so, you -- you could hear conversation inside the house, though. What did you hear?

LASHLEY: I heard some conversation inside the house. And as -- then, all of a sudden, it got a little bit louder, with the -- I heard the comments of: "This is how a black man in America is treated. And I'm being placed under arrest in my own home because a white woman called the police."

COOPER: You know, the -- one of the questions a lot of people would have on this is, why -- why arrest Professor Gates? I mean, if -- if he's just talking back to police, and -- and President Obama says overreacting, perhaps, why not just let him do that in his own home and -- and leave the scene?

LASHLEY: Well, once he -- once he came out of his own home, it became something different. It was -- he was in -- he was in the public view, and he was causing much of a -- it was just getting out of control after he came outside.

COOPER: But he was on his front porch, right?

LASHLEY: He's outside.

COOPER: So, you have absolutely no qualms at all that he should have been arrested, that he should have been taken in?

LASHLEY: I have no qualms with that.

And one of the things that we want to -- would it have been different had I shown up first? And I think it probably would have been different. And...

COOPER: Because?

LASHLEY: But had he acted that -- because of the black man to black man, it probably would have been different. And had he continued to do the -- ended up -- if it didn't go the way that I would assumed it would had gone had I been there first, I, too, would have probably had placed him under arrest, if it had gotten too much further out of control.

But I believe Sergeant Crowley was within his rights to make that arrest at that location and at that time.

COOPER: Sergeant Lashley, I know you are a busy man. I appreciate your time. And I appreciate all you do. Thank you.

LASHLEY: Thank you.