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NYPD Releases Video Showing Moment Tennis Star James Blake Was Grabbed By Officer, Thrown to Ground
September 11, 2015
"The officer ... did not identify himself as a member of law enforcement..."
The New York Police Department released video Friday showing the moment an unsuspecting James Blake, 35, was grabbed outside a hotel and thrown to the ground by an undercover officer.
The former tennis star could be seen in the footage casually waiting for a car when the officer rushed in and slammed him to the pavement, accidentally placing him under arrest before realizing he was not the suspect authorities wanted.
Blake had previously said in a statement the cop "tackled me to the ground, handcuffed me, paraded me down a crowded sidewalk, and detained me for ten minutes before he and his four colleagues realized they had the wrong man."
"The officer ... did not identify himself as a member of law enforcement, ask my name, read me my rights, or in any way afford me the dignity and respect due every person who walks the streets of this country," the 35-year-old continued, adding that while he believes most officers are "conduct themselves appropriately" he thinks "what happened to me is not uncommon."
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Stephen Davis said that internal affairs interviewed Blake Thursday and that a copy of the footage had been provided to his attorney. The officer in question has been taken off the streets and placed on desk duty until the outcome of the investigation.
In a statement, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner William Bratton said they wanted to "determine what contributed to the errors made" and who to hold accountable.
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