Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bob Dylan Detained By Cops Week After Gates, Story Buried Until Now
Newsbusters ^ | 8/15/09 | Noel Sheppard

Posted on 08/15/2009 2:01:39 PM PDT by pissant

Exactly one week after the highly-publicized arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates stirred a national discussion on race relations, legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan was detained by police officers in a "low-income, predominantly minority neighborhood" in Long Branch, New Jersey.

Makes one wonder why it took so long for this to get reported, and if news outlets that were convinced Gates's arrest was racially motivated will see the delicious irony in a white rock star being questioned by police just because he was "wandering around the neighborhood."

The Associated Press sure didn't (h/t Clarence Page):

Rock legend Bob Dylan was treated like a complete unknown by police in a New Jersey shore community when a resident called to report someone wandering around the neighborhood.

Dylan was in Long Branch, about a two-hour drive south of New York City, on July 23 as part of a tour with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp that was to play at a baseball stadium in nearby Lakewood.

A 24-year-old police officer apparently was unaware of who Dylan is and asked him for identification, Long Branch business administrator Howard Woolley said Friday. [...]

The incident began at 5 p.m. when a resident said a man was wandering around a low-income, predominantly minority neighborhood several blocks from the oceanfront looking at houses.

The police officer drove up to Dylan, who was wearing a blue jacket, and asked him his name. According to Woolley, the following exchange ensued:

"What is your name, sir?" the officer asked.

"Bob Dylan," Dylan said.

"OK, what are you doing here?" the officer asked.

"I'm on tour," the singer replied.

A second officer, also in his 20s, responded to assist the first officer. He, too, apparently was unfamiliar with Dylan, Woolley said. [...]

The officers asked Dylan, 68, to accompany them back to the Ocean Place Resort and Spa, where the performers were staying. Once there, tour staff vouched for Dylan.

Here's the money quote:

The officers thanked him for his cooperation.

"He couldn't have been any nicer to them," Woolley added.

In fact, according to ABCNews.com, Dylan was quite gracious:

"He was really nice, though, and he said he understood why I had to verify his identity and why I couldn't let him go," Buble said.

Hmmm. So, Dylan was detained a week after Gates, was cooperative, and the issue was quickly resolved.

And we're hearing about this NOW?

How might this have impacted the Gates-Sgt. James Crowley affair if it had been reported at the time it happened rather than over three weeks after the fact?

None of the news reports I've reviewed concerning the Dylan incident addressed why this matter was buried until now, nor did they mention how it might have related to the Gates-Crowley affair.

I guess when a white rock legend is detained by police for having the nerve to walk around a minority neighborhood, and cooperates fully with the authorities to quickly resolve the misunderstanding, it's not a teachable moment.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: banglist; bobdylan; civilrights; donutwatch; dylan; henrygates; howardwoolley; identification; johnmellencamp; lakewood; leo; longbranch; mrskippy; msmcoverup; nationalid; newjersey; obama; papers; police; profiling; robertzimmerman; tangledupinblue; willienelson
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-70 next last
To: pissant

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didnt you?
Peopled call, say, beware doll, youre bound to fall
You thought they were all kiddin you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin out
Now you dont talk so loud
Now you dont seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?


21 posted on 08/15/2009 3:02:20 PM PDT by almcbean
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: J40000

Not purty enuff fer ye?

Dylan’s art is far more than a conventually pretty voice. He is the greatest song writer in American history and a great performer of his music as well. His songs tell stories and he is a great story teller in the tradition of Leadbelly, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Jimmy Reed, Lighting Hopkins and Big Bill Broonzy.


22 posted on 08/15/2009 3:03:27 PM PDT by arrogantsob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Markos33

[Never heard of Bob Dylan? Man I’m getting old.]

I tell people I worked with Joan Baez’s mother in a bookstore and hung with some of Mimi Farina’s friends. I could just as well be from Planet X in the Zorg galaxy.


23 posted on 08/15/2009 3:06:40 PM PDT by FastCoyote (I am intolerant of the intolerable.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Media trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill again.

Dylan wasn’t “detained”. He was merely asked for ID.while lurking around a not so nice hood.


24 posted on 08/15/2009 3:10:33 PM PDT by Nathan Zachary
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: J40000
All Bob had to do was to start ‘singing’ for them. The cops would have fled the scene asap.

Best funny lines of recent times. Thanks for the laugh.

25 posted on 08/15/2009 3:12:48 PM PDT by MurrietaMadman (Luke 23:31)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: ropin71

There is more to being a great singer than just having a great voice. Although Dylan has plenty of songs which are not sung in his typical raspy sound. Whole albums of them in fact.


26 posted on 08/15/2009 3:15:30 PM PDT by arrogantsob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: microgood
A second officer, also in his 20s, responded to assist the first officer. He, too, apparently was unfamiliar with Dylan, Woolley said.

So what. Is it a requirement that Cops know who leftwing moonbats demi god rock stars are?

And the cop did have a right to ask him for ID. He was lurking around where a person normally wouldn't, which is cause for suspicion.

27 posted on 08/15/2009 3:16:04 PM PDT by Nathan Zachary
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Well, my sons knew about this the day after it happened, so we can’t really say it wasn’t reported. Obviously, there’s no way scream “racism” when an old white guy is detained, so there’s clearly no story here.........


28 posted on 08/15/2009 3:17:51 PM PDT by Lloyd227 (Class of 1998 (let's all help the Team McCain spider monkeys decide how to moderate))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freespirited
Wandering While White.

I got nabbed at a family reunion picnic. I'm an extremely hideous looking guy and one of my wife's cousins decided I was out of place at the gathering and confronted me. It was awkward.

29 posted on 08/15/2009 3:20:14 PM PDT by Glenn (Free Venezuela!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Nathan Zachary
Media trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill again. Dylan wasn’t “detained”. He was merely asked for ID.while lurking around a not so nice hood.

BZZZZZZZ.

WRONG.

He was escorted to his hotel to confirm who he said he was. If he hadn't been Bob Dylan, I bet they would have arrested him. Yet he was still a gentleman unlike Gates.

30 posted on 08/15/2009 3:23:03 PM PDT by TNLawyer ("Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Nathan Zachary
Is it a requirement that Cops know who leftwing moonbats demi god rock stars are?

Not at all. Being an ignorant dumbass is perfectly acceptable.

31 posted on 08/15/2009 3:25:13 PM PDT by Glenn (Free Venezuela!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Glenn

Yeah, sounds kinda awkward. What did he say when you proved who you were?


32 posted on 08/15/2009 3:28:36 PM PDT by Yardstick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Yardstick
What did he say when you proved who you were?

He was smug. Go figure.

33 posted on 08/15/2009 3:30:08 PM PDT by Glenn (Free Venezuela!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Glenn

Wow. Some people..


34 posted on 08/15/2009 3:31:37 PM PDT by Yardstick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Nathan Zachary
And the cop did have a right to ask him for ID. He was lurking around where a person normally wouldn't, which is cause for suspicion.

I saw nothing in the article that indicates he was doing anything suspicious. And the Supreme Court has specifically stated you cannot use race as an issue in determining whether to stop someone (black in white neighborhood or vice versa). From the information in all the articles I have read, the cops broke the law. A very common occurence in this country.
35 posted on 08/15/2009 3:42:39 PM PDT by microgood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: FastCoyote
I tell people I worked with Joan Baez’s mother in a bookstore and hung with some of Mimi Farina’s friends.

Including Thomas Pynchon?

36 posted on 08/15/2009 4:37:48 PM PDT by TChad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Glenn
I got nabbed at a family reunion picnic. I'm an extremely hideous looking guy and one of my wife's cousins decided I was out of place at the gathering and confronted me. It was awkward.

You aren't telling the whole story, you were also in a bad mood and harassing the women, I snagged this photo of you when you weren't looking.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

37 posted on 08/15/2009 4:59:19 PM PDT by ansel12 (Romney (guns)"instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Using common sense, match subject to reaction by drawing lines

Subject Reaction


1. rock legend A. screaming, profanity, WH luncheon

2. teacher B. shuffling, giggling, mollifying statements


38 posted on 08/15/2009 5:12:33 PM PDT by gaijin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pissant

Apparently in NJ you can’t walk down the street without the cops having RAS to terry stop you. Sad.

I’d bet a shiney new nickel that the ride back to the buss to get ID’d wasn’t voluntary. The title should read “Bob Dylan Arrested by cops week after gates....” Just because he wasn’t charged doesn’t mean he wasn’t unlawfully arrested.


39 posted on 08/15/2009 6:26:06 PM PDT by Dayman (My 1919a4 is named Charlotte. When I light her up she has the voice of an angel.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: microgood

The reasonable suspicion is that a resident called in. Soliciting prostitution is illegal, and so is purchasing drugs.


40 posted on 08/15/2009 7:49:44 PM PDT by livius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-70 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson