CNN: Cops Passionately Back Crowley

This is CNN speaking with Cambridge, MA cops:

Transcript:

Sgt. Leon Lashley, Cambridge MA Police: It happened to be a white officer on a black man, and the common call a lot of times is to call it a racist situation.

Let me, don’t get me wrong, it does happen. It has happened here in Cambridge. And I can’t say it will not ever happen again in Cambridge. (But) the situation here was not a racial(ly) motivated situation.

CNN (Reporter Don Lemon): And you know people obviously are going to be paying closer attention to you, because you’re an African-American man. I’m just being honest. And you’re supporting this white officer, that it has been put out there by some that “he was racially profiling Dr. Gates.” They’re going to pay attention to you.

Sgt. Lashley: I hope they would. I heard one of the comments call him a rogue cop. There’s nothing rogue about him. He was doing his job.

CNN (addressing Officer Kelly King): When you heard about what happened with this sergeant, what did you think?

Officer Kelly King, Cambridge MA Police: I was appalled. I know Jimmy. I’ve known him for more than the 11 years with the Cambridge Police. I knew him when he worked for Harvard.

I know him to be a good police officer, a good man, with character, and I knew these charges were bogus. There has been a tremendous rush to judgment. And I think the thing to be learned first and foremost from this is to look at all of the evidence, to consider all, to weigh all. I think Professor Gates has done a very good job at throwing up a very effective smoke screen, calling “racism,” as it had nothing to do with it.

CNN: And the President?

Officer King: It’s unfortunate. I supported him. I voted for him. I will not again.

I agree that I think it’s admirable that he would speak on behalf of his friend. But he should have recused himself. He should have stepped back, and he should have said, “I support my friend but I don’t have all the facts. I won’t weigh in yet.”

CNN: The Governor? (Deval Patrick)

Officer King: I would apply the same to him.

CNN: What do want people in the country to know who have already made up their mind about Jimmy Crowley?

Officer King: Keep their minds open, and realize that we would not support someone that we felt wronged someone else. We took this job to do the right thing. We all took this job to do the right thing. We would not support anyone in blue doing the wrong thing.

CNN: Um, I know you can’t respond, you can’t talk, you can …. nod your head. You’ve got to be touched by this.

Sgt. Jimmy Crowley: (nods head “yes”)

Take that, PUNK (and Punk Jr. Patrick).