Charges dropped against Harvard professor: report

BOSTON (Reuters) - Disorderly conduct charges filed against one of the nation's pre-eminent African-American scholars have been dropped, local media reported on Tuesday.

Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested on Thursday after what police described as "exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior," including accusing police of racism.

Boston's WHDH-TV said all charges would be dropped, quoting unidentified sources.

Gates, 58, director of Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African & African American Research, was arrested at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, police said.

A woman had reported a man trying to force open the home's door, according to the arrest report. A statement from Gates' lawyer, Charles Ogletree, released late on Monday said the professor was unable to enter his damaged front door after returning from a trip to China.

Ogletree, a Harvard Law professor, said Gates entered through the rear door and his driver carried in his luggage. Ogletree said Gates showed his Harvard identification and driver's license to a policeman who arrived at his home. Gates asked the policeman for his name and badge number. The police officer walked away and when Gates followed him to the porch, he was arrested, Ogletree's statement said.

The police report said Gates initially refused to provide identification and after the officer's explained he was investigating a reported break-in, shouted "this is what happens to black men in America." The report said Gates leveled threats against the policeman, then followed the officer outside and yelled at him. Officers then arrested him.