Former US tennis pro seen standing outside Manhattan hotel before he is rushed by a plainclothes police officer and handcuffed in case of mistaken identity

The New York police department has released a surveillance video of the arrest of former tennis star James Blake in a case of mistaken identity outside a Manhattan hotel earlier this week.

Blake, who is African American, was detained by five white plainclothes police officers as he stood outside preparing to attend the US Open on Wednesday. They had mistaken him for a suspect in an identity theft case.

The 60-second video released on Friday shows Blake standing between two entrances to the Grand Hyatt hotel, when a plainclothes officer, dressed in a white polo shirt and dark pants, runs up and throws Blake to the ground. Within about 20 seconds, the officer has Blake handcuffed, with one knee pinning the former tennis star to the ground. Several pedestrians pass by while the two men stand and then walk off screen. No other police are shown in the video.

After Blake had been handcuffed for 15 minutes, one of the officer’s four colleagues realized they had the wrong person and he was released. The officer who had thrown Blake to the ground did not apologize. He has been placed on desk duty following Blake’s arrest.

The NYPD commissioner, Bill Bratton, and Mayor Bill de Blasio have both apologized to Blake.

On Friday, Blake released a statement thanking them for the gestures, but said: “Extending courtesy to a public figure mistreated by the police is not enough… I am determined to use my voice to turn this unfortunate incident into a catalyst for change in the relationship between the police and the public they serve.”

He asked the city to make “a significant financial commitment” to improving that relationship, and said Bratton has agreed to meet with him to “discuss our ideas”.

Dan Linden (@DanLinden) #JamesBlake statement on incident with NYPD: 'I know that what happened to me is not uncommon.' pic.twitter.com/o8lWfyKcba

On Friday, the NYPD said its internal affairs bureau has been investigating the arrest, and that the department “has decided to release some of the video footage obtained” while the investigation continues.

Records obtained by the Associated Press on Friday show that the New York police officer who arrested Blake has a history of excessive force allegations.



Two federal civil rights lawsuits name officer James Frascatore in cases involving men who claim they were beaten, pepper-sprayed and falsely arrested. An investigation last year by radio station WNYC found the 38-year-old had been the subject of five complaints in a seven-month period in 2013.



On Friday, a phone number registered to Frascatore was not in service, the AP reported. His union had no comment.

“I probably even wouldn’t be so indignant about it, it if it wasn’t so obvious. It was so blatant,” the former US No1 told Good Morning America on Thursday. “I was standing there doing nothing, not running, not resisting, in fact, smiling.”



Bratton has described the incident as “very disturbing” but denied on Thursday that race had played a part in the arrest. “Sorry, race has nothing at all to do with this. If you look at the photograph of the suspect it looks like the twin brother of Mr Blake,” Bratton told CNN. “So let’s put that nonsense to rest right now, race has nothing to do with this. We have a witness who identified Mr Blake as an individual who he had sold a phone to and had been given a false credit card.”

Bratton has ordered an internal affairs investigation into the incident, and one officer involved has been placed on desk duties. “I have concerns about the takedown,” the commissioner said.



Blake is a former US No1 and world No4 player. He reached the US Open quarter-finals twice, and was in New York to attend the tournament this week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report