Cops Slam Ex-Tennis Star Into the Ground After Mistaking Him for Identity Thief

A former tennis star was slammed into the ground by police officers who believed him to be an identity thief.

James Blake was outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City today, waiting for a car to take him to the U.S. Open, when five undercover NYPD officers tackled him and slammed him into the ground.

According to the NY Daily News, Blake was reportedly mistaken for an individual who bought a cell phone with a fraudulent credit card. When a retired officer nearby told them who it was, they realized their mistake and immediately released him.

Blake recounts that he received an apology, but not from the first officer to tackle him. He wants an official NYPD apology for the way he was treated.

Blake said, “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.”

He told the Daily News he wanted to speak out because other people receive the kind of treatment he does and they “don’t have a media outlet to voice that to.”

Someone who was near Blake at the time reportedly ended up being arrested.

[h/t Raw Story]
[image via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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