Blake said he suffered cuts and bruises from the Wednesday incident, when detectives in Manhattan mistook him for a suspect in an identity theft ring. The video shows the officer, James Frascatore, accost Blake as he leans against a wall outside the Grand Hyatt in midtown. Frascatore can be seen slamming Blake to the ground to cuff him.
NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton apologized to Blake on Thursday.
On Friday, Blake released a statement of his own, saying that an apology is "not enough":
Just before noon on Wednesday, September 9, 2015, while I was standing on a sidewalk outside my hotel in midtown Manhattan waiting for a car to take me to the U.S. Open, a plainclothes New York City Police officer tackled me to the ground, handcuffed me, paraded me down a crowded sidewalk, and detained me for ten minutes before he and his four colleagues realized they had the wrong man.
The officer, who was apparently investigating a case of credit card fraud, did not identify himself as a member of law enforcement, ask my name, read me my rights, or in any way afford me the dignity and respect due every person who walks the streets of this country. And while I continue to believe the vast majority of our police officers are dedicated public servants who conduct themselves appropriately, I know that what happened to me is not uncommon.
When this incident was reported in the news media, Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Bratton both called me to extend their personal apologies, and I greatly appreciate those gestures. But extending courtesy to a public figure mistreated by the police is not enough.As I told the Commissioner, 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. For that reason, I am calling upon the City of New York to make a significant financial commitment to improving that relationship, particularly in those neighborhoods where incidents of the type I experienced occur all too frequently. The Commissioner has agreed to meet with my representatives and me to discuss our ideas in that regard, and we very much look forward to that meeting.
And while Bratton exonerated his officer, Frascatore has a lengthy history of civilian complaints against him. The New York Daily News reports the cop is the defendant in four civil excessive force cases, and he's only been in the department for four years. He also has at least five complaints against him filed to the Civilian Complaint Review Board.
One of the complainants accused Frascatore and two other officers of beating him as he lay on the ground in 2013. The complainant suffered a concussion in the beating, and charges of pot possession and resisting arrest were later dropped, according to WNYC.
The station reports on another incident:
In 2012, he pulled over Leroy Cline for allegedly driving with a busted taillight. Frascatore asked for Cline’s ID.
“I rolled my window down,” Cline said in an interview with WNYC. “He said, 'License and registration.' I said ‘Officer, what am I being pulled over for?’ He completely ignored me and said ‘License, registration.’ I said, ‘Officer what am I being pulled over for?’”
Cline is accused of attacking the 6-foot-three, 220-pound officer and biting Frascatore’s fist. Cline, of course, has a different story.
“That’s when he opened my car door and gave me three straight shots to my mouth,” he said.
The NYPD didn't immediately return calls for comment from The Huffington Post.
On Wednesday, Blake was asked if he thought the incident was a case of racial profiling.
"I don't know if it's as simple as that," Blake said. "To me it's as simple as unnecessary police force, no matter what my race is. 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."
Bratton responded Thursday with, "Sorry, race has nothing at all to do with this," according to CNN. He said Blake had agreed to meet with him, Internal Affairs Bureau investigators and Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) for a formal discussion and apology.
Original Article
Source: huffingtonpost.com/
Author: Andy Campbell
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