Ex-tennis player slammed to the ground by the NYPD

Retired black tennis star James Blake, in an NYPD double-fault, was slammed to a Manhattan sidewalk and handcuffed by a white cop in a brutal case of mistaken identity.

The 35-year-old Blake, once ranked No. 4 in the world, suffered a cut to his left elbow and bruises to his left leg as five cops eventually held him for 15 minutes Wednesday outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

“It was definitely scary and definitely crazy,” Blake told the Daily News. “In my mind there’s probably a race factor involved, but no matter what there’s no reason for anybody to do that to anybody.”

Blake said none of the white cops identified themselves, including the officer who charged straight at the Harvard-educated athlete and bounced him off the E. 42nd St. concrete around noon.

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“Don’t say a word,” snapped the officer, who Blake said was not wearing a badge.

Blake — whose right eye appeared red hours later at the Midtown hotel — was only turned loose when a former cop recognized the man in cuffs and alerted the arresting officers, a police source said.

“That is James Blake, the tennis player,” the NYPD retiree told them.

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The first cop involved never apologized to Blake for the physical thumping or the subsequent cuffing, the ex-player recounted.

Blake was only in cuffs for a minute after he was misidentified by a witness during a credit card fraud investigation, police said.

Blake, who was making a corporate appearance for Time-Warner Cable at the U.S. Open, was waiting for a car ride to the Queens tennis center after an interview with a magazine writer.

As he started texting on his phone, Blake looked up and saw someone in shorts and a T-shirt racing at him.

“Maybe I’m naïve, but I just assumed it was someone I went to high school with or someone who was running at me to give me a big hug, so I smiled at the guy,” Blake said.

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He was adamant that the officer never said a word: “No, just rushed me.”

The unidentified officer picked Blake up, threw the 6-foot-1 player down on the sidewalk and commanded him to roll over facedown.

“I’m going to do whatever you say,” Blake recalled telling the cop. “I’m going to cooperate. But do you mind if I ask what this is all about?”

One officer replied: “We’ll tell you. You are in safe hands.”

Blake said, “I didn’t feel very safe.”

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Wednesday night he had directed internal affairs to open an investigation.

“The nature of what he described is not what we do, not what we’re supposed to do,” Bratton said on NY1. “I will not tolerate any type of excessive use of force on the part of my police, but as always, we have that saying, the first story is never the last story.”

A man who was standing near Blake was arrested in connection with the scam, police said.

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Once he was told about his misidentification as one of the bad guys, Blake told the police to check his license — in his front left pocket — and his Open credential, in his back pocket.

The NYPD was trying to locate surveillance video, and Blake said he was hopeful it did.

The tennis great said he would like an apology from the department, and he wants to hear there will be repercussions for the officers involved.

“I have resources to get to the bottom of this. I have a voice,” Blake said. “But what about someone who doesn't have those resources and doesn’t have a voice?”

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So basically a NYPD officer (who was plainclothes btw) body-slammed a black tennis star in the middle of the day without any warning in a case of mistaken identity and never apologized. Imagine if he resisted or somebody else resisted, then probably shots fired. Seriously, what was the officer thinking?

I can't tell, is the NYPD stupid, racist, or both?

So basically we are throwing color in here for no reason other than to flame the race war......

He was misidentified, race was not a factor.

Star is a stretch, he never even reached a Major Finals in his career. Regardless, like he said, he has the means to take this all the way and he should. Police power needs to be checked.

No, just throwing facts. A white cop did indeed attempt to arrest the wrong person based on his color and nothing else.

There are many black people in New York, the officer seriously couldn't ask for ID in the first place? Why tackle someone in the first place without any warning which could have risked the officer's life?

But how do you know that? Where do you get that from reading the story? How do you know on which information did the officer made the arrest? Not saying that wasn't the case, I just don't see the evidence for that.

You know who could've helped to provide some insight to this story?

Aircommie.

Unless Aircommie was the arresting officer in this story...

Nope, just posting a story of an officer bodyslamming an innocent man in the middle of the day without any warning or justification. But throw race in it, it does make you wonder. Why didn't the officer present himself and ask the "suspect" for ID? What made the officer suspect the black man in the first place? Do all black people look alike because I've seen a lot of black people and they don't look alike at all.

The officer didn't present himself, didn't ask for ID, and if it's not embarrassing already, another officer recognized the celebrity as an ex-tennis star. Considering that racial profiling is a serious issue in this country, especially by the police, it's not really a worm but more of an elephant in the room that everyone ignores. Also, I suggest you visit the website "Theerant." it's a forum for police officers (specifically the NYPD) and they have a lot of racist things to say.

And no, before you accuse me of it, I don't hate the police. I support my local sheriff's department but think police officers around the country should be held accountable for their actions. Are all officers racist? No, but they shouldn't tolerate the ones that are.

It's just mistaken identity.

what I don't get though, if you think it's a guy guilty of credit card fraud, do you need to body slam him?

I don't think it has to do with race if it was a black cop there would be no problem, the cop just so happened to be white.

So he threw EVERY black person down?

Because if he didn't the fact is you're lying.

Whats with the robot voice ? Why is this on the under ?

And if the report had been about a spree shooting cannibal child molesting serial killer I would be the one that matched the description and they may have jumped on me.

What's the problem?

@hood_honky: That is a gross overgeneralization and I would appreciate if you gave more regard to the details.

Fact check:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_crime_in_the_United_States#Crime_rate_statistics

"Blake was only in cuffs for a minute after he was misidentified by a witness during a credit card fraud investigation, police said."

It sounds like the officers suspected him because a witness said that he's the criminal. Whether they had grounds to tackle him to the ground like that is another matter, but don't blame the police officers for thinking he's the suspect in the first place. He was identified by a witness. If anyone thinks that all black people look alike, then it's the witness who thinks that.

At least 2 of the 3 reporters that wrote up that story are living with white guilt.

I agree with the other poster, they made it ALL about race in the first line of that report..."white cop...black tennis star".

@drunk_pi: what a load of bs, they should get sued

@BranKetra: really? because what you linked backed it up. 50.2% of homicide nearly 50 for for youth crime.

Idk what you are trying to prove there?

@hood_honky: I made a mistake in my original post actually, should've been Violent crime.

Blacks make up 28.3% of ALL crime.

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/tables/table-43#disablemobile

Let's take a minute to thank the media for starting a race war.

@magicalclick: I do not. I am not a bigot.

probably wouldn't have gone down like that if he weren't black

Just another neanderthal american cop thinking he is rambo or some shit.

No not all cops are bad but alot are bad, very bad.

Not about race, but some really stupid cops. They need to do refresher training on just about every procedure they have and overhaul those that seem outdated. In the meantime, the NYPD should have been fined and James compensated.

Yes we all stereotype, it's in our nature. However, what you're thinking is borderline stupid. The crime rate has been decreasing throughout the nation and while blacks are arrested at higher rates, it's mostly in poor and disadvantaged areas where crime is and can be rampant (it's a cycle of poverty and crime) but so can police abuse which has happened many times and yes, even to white people. However, the stereotype won't disappear and has been prevalent no matter what. People think Islamic terrorists are a threat to the United States despite evidence stating that you're more likely to witness a right wing terrorist act.

Also, here's a history lesson for you. Back in WW1, the Turks were accusing Armenians of having Russian sympathies and even though a select few were actively fighting to be with Russia due to Turkish human rights violations of Armenians, guess what happened? Genocide. And the Turks still sometimes justify it but reject the term "genocide" despite all the evidence. But that's not always the case. You also have internment of Japanese citizens and possession of their property. It's easy what I just described but not for the victims who were mostly innocent. They lost their livelihood just for being whatever despite being citizens of their own country.

If you can "deal" with that kind of abuse, you're delusional. You're a citizen of the United States and nothing more or less. Don't anyone take that away from you otherwise what I stated can happen to you or anyone else in another country. Also, a war between US and China will never happen, and I'm pretty sure most Americans know that Taiwan is our ally and friend.

i really wish i understood what the end game for the media is here.

why highlight some incidents but bury the deaths of people like dillian harris and jamyla bolden?

why highlight the race when they are white but use code words like "group of youths" for other criminal behavior?

why is it so clearly implied as racism when a cop is involved but as soon as "teens" target people and stomp on some skulls it is reported as "for no apparent reason"?

there was a mob beating at the univesity of michgan last week and the local media that covered it has given themselves a rash scratching their collective heads in confusion over what this could possible be.

golly! what could it possibly be? after all, nothing was stolen, gee willikers, guess we will never know what it was but hey, look assertive, that will super help.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2015/09/04/12-people-sought-in-shocking-attack-on-university-of-michigan-students/

@Riverwolf007: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/08/20/jamyla-bolden-shot-dead-in-ferguson/

It is pretty disgusting, black lives only,matter when a white man takes it. Lets ignore all the black on black.

Yeah I get very uncomfortable when I see a white guy walking into a school, church, or movie theatre.

Can't even read your own goddamned article.

Ah yes OT where one makes assumptions with or without a basis to fit one's view and then runs with it.

"...including the officer who charged straight at the Harvard-educated athlete..."

Because an expensive education prevents people from being violent criminals.

The bullshit the media stirs up these days makes me physically angry.

So this makes the cop in the right?

Where did I say that?

You guys just can't help yourselves, can ya? Now as go to the staff with this, hopefully the thread stays this while you two are the ones who get kicked.

@thebest31406: Come on dude. I saw your thread in ATM. Can't we all just get along.

Apparently, not.

Be afraid or don't; I'm not bothered either way. I wouldn't fear it, personally; there are far worst things out there than getting modded.

FYI; members of the staff were far more outraged by your comments in the previous thread then even I (at least, that's the impression they gave). "Hate filled" was the term they used.

thebest31406 is always looking to get people modded or banned.