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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEx-tennis star Blake says New York cop should be fired for abuse
Source: Reuters
US | Sat Sep 12, 2015 3:34pm EDT
Ex-tennis star Blake says New York cop should be fired for abuse
NEW YORK | BY KATIE REILLY
Former professional tennis player James Blake said on Saturday that an undercover policeman who body-slammed him outside a Manhattan hotel in a case of mistaken identity did not deserve to wear an officer's badge, and he told CNN he should be fired for abusing his powers.
Blake, who reached a career high of No. 4 in the world and retired two years ago, said he initially thought that it was someone rushing up to give him a hug "or something positive" as he waited alone for a car to take him to the U.S. Open for corporate appearances.
But the 35-year-old American said the officer gave no warning or identification before tackling him, throwing him to the ground, then handcuffing him.
Blake is black and the New York City Police Department officer, James Frascatore, is white. The incident revived debate over excessive police force that has reverberated around the country after a series of police killings of unarmed black men.
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Ex-tennis star Blake says New York cop should be fired for abuse
NEW YORK | BY KATIE REILLY
Former professional tennis player James Blake said on Saturday that an undercover policeman who body-slammed him outside a Manhattan hotel in a case of mistaken identity did not deserve to wear an officer's badge, and he told CNN he should be fired for abusing his powers.
Blake, who reached a career high of No. 4 in the world and retired two years ago, said he initially thought that it was someone rushing up to give him a hug "or something positive" as he waited alone for a car to take him to the U.S. Open for corporate appearances.
But the 35-year-old American said the officer gave no warning or identification before tackling him, throwing him to the ground, then handcuffing him.
Blake is black and the New York City Police Department officer, James Frascatore, is white. The incident revived debate over excessive police force that has reverberated around the country after a series of police killings of unarmed black men.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/12/us-tennis-blake-idUSKCN0RC0OH20150912
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Ex-tennis star Blake says New York cop should be fired for abuse (Original Post)
Eugene
Sep 2015
OP
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)1. Still would like to know if the other two arrested
in the sting were body slammed.
moondust
(19,917 posts)2. Agree.
Totally unprofessional, inappropriate behavior even if the cop had the right guy. Somebody's lucky Blake didn't instinctively fight back against the attacking thug and touch off a hail of police gunfire on the sidewalk.
malaise
(267,823 posts)3. He's right
They sure messed with the wrong person this time.
hunter
(38,264 posts)4. Yep, he's right.
.
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)5. I have several good friends who are NYPD
Nothing is more disheartening than watching them defend the officer's action, even calling it "textbook" and saying we should blame the complainant. Watching these cops defend the indefensible so blithely has really been eye opening. The reason why there are growing national protests is because cops can't even look at *this* arrest and say "No, that's fucked up." Half of them are blaming Blake! It's unbelievable.