My first thought is it had less to do with racism (though that element is possibly there), than with "contempt of cop." Given just a bit of authority, it felt like someone who hates to have it questioned. "Don't respect me? Well, I'll show you what I can do with my authority." Gates didn't show the deference the guy thought he deserved.

Kind of like the video of the ambulance that got pulled over in May (I think), where it was pretty obvious the cop didn't take well to getting flipped the bird (or thinking he got flipped), or having someone tell him he wasn't in charge and so got all bent out of shape and escalated things.

But then, I wasn't there and I don't know the cop. But I've known enough cops to have seen that pattern and I tend to assume that's the case whenever small matters escalate with cops. And yes, race does play in to that mentality.