Yesterday, Former Tennis star James Blake was tackled by five undercover cops outside his hotel after being mistaken for an identity thief.
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Blake, once the fourth-ranked player in the world, is fuming over his treatment by New York’s Finest as he waited in front of his Midtown hotel for courtesy auto to take him to the U.S. Open.
“As soon as Blake was correctly recognized and located to haven’t any connection to the investigation, he was launched from police custody instantly”, Davis stated in a press release.
At the hotel, a courier delivered the goods to one man and police arrested him, Boyce said, identifying the suspect as a white male from England visiting the United States on a student visa. He added his department wants Blake to speak to its internal affairs division.
Police detained Blake after he was misidentified by a cooperating witness in an ongoing investigation into fraudulently purchased cell phones, a New York Police Department spokesman said in an e-mailed statement.
A witness, according to Bratton, identified Blake as someone who had given him a fraudulent credit card after a phone sale.
Bratton told reporters today, “I have concerns about the takedown”, and said he “did not see anything I would describe as resisting” on the part of Blake.
Blake- who was heading to the U.S. Open- was swarmed by cops after they mistakenly confused him for another man who has been operating an identity theft ring around the area. “Absolutely. But this was a non-violent offense they were pursuing.” Spencer Platt/Getty Images Blake was thrown to the pavement Wednesday outside a Manhattan hotel and cuffed after police mistook him for a credit card thief. So if I say something wrong, I’m sorry, ‘ ” Blake quoted himself telling police.
According to his Facebook page, Blake “will most likely be commenting on this” Thursday.
NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton addressed the incident.
The second person identified by the suspect, who was not with Blake, was taken into custody, the sources added.
Blake said he was initially hesitant to share his story, but said his status gives him a platform that others do not have.
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Mr. Blake’s representative at WME/IMG said Mr. Blake remained shaken by the incident and had returned to Manhattan Wednesday evening. I was just standing there. “Let’s put that nonsense to rest right now, race has nothing to do with this”, he said. “I haven’t heard anything, but I’d be surprised if they’d been making much of a concerted effort, since plenty of media outlets have been able to find my number“, he said. He told The New York Times that initial video evidence suggests the force involved in the arrest may not have been inappropriate.
