CAMBRIDGE, MA - Sgt. James Crowley, the policeman at the center of Harvard professor Henry Gates' arrest controversy, has issued an official apology nearly two weeks after the incident occurred. In a written statement released through the Cambridge Police Media Office, Crowley admitted the entire controversy could have been avoided if he were not white, and that he should have called for backup from an African-American officer. Racist Policeman James Crowley "I didn't stop to realize it was my race that was inflaming the situation." Crowley said in the statement. "I should have quietly allowed Mr. Gates to berate me until an officer of a less offensive race arrived, and for that, I apologize."
Professor Gates was less than impressed with the apology. "He forgot he was white? I don't think so - I kept reminding him." Gates said during a break from his class 'Race, Gender, Class and Ethnicity in the Early Films of Spike Lee'. "But he's right about one thing: he should have let me finish my speech. I didn't even get to quote Farrakhan."
Cambridge Police spokesmen say it has implemented policy to avoid multiracial encounters in the future. "Our 911 operators have been instructed to inquire as to the race of both the victim and perpetrator." said Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas. "We will dispatch the appropriate officer accordingly."