Tennis Star James Blake Attacked by Police

Forums: News, Tennis, Black Lives Matter, James Blake, Excessive Use Of Force
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Harvard educated tennis star James Blake was tackled to the ground and handcuffed by five officers while he was waiting for his car to take him to the US Open. The reason five undercover officers attacked a man standing at the curb waiting for his car - suspected identity theft - not even a violent crime.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/ex-tennis-star-james-blake-mistakenly-tackled-white-cops-article-1.2353983?cid=bitly

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Type: Discussion • Score: 8 • Views: 3,415 • Replies: 23

@engineer,

He was obviously a public menace and needed to be brought down fast and hard. Everyone knows that black people are always guilty until they aren't. They teach that at the police academy now.

[/sarcasm]

1 Reply

@engineer,

Jeez, Louise.

Well, I haven't read up, but it sounds very ugly on the face of it.

I repeat, I don't hate police, but do see plenty of problems.

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I'll add this article, that I thought was a good one -

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/sep/09/former-us-no1-james-blake-slammed-to-ground-by-police-in-mistaken-detention

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@McGentrix,

McGentrix wrote:

He was obviously a public menace and needed to be brought down fast and hard. Everyone knows that black people are always guilty until they aren't. They teach that at the police academy now.

[/sarcasm]

Funny, and not tone deaf at all!

[that's sarcasm]

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Read this one - a (black, did I need to say it?) man is shot in the chest while in his hospital room by Houston Cops acting as security guards in the hospital. Read the whole thing, because the cops' redition of what happened doesn't seem to agree with the hospital workers or, of course the man they shot.

Houston cops shoot unarmed black patient in hospital
— and then charge him with assault

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/09/houston-cops-shoot-unarmed-black-patient-in-hospital-and-then-charge-him-with-assault/

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New York City police commissioner William Bratton has apologized to James Blake,
one day after the former tennis professional was handcuffed by officers after a
case of mistaken identity ...

1 Reply

@Region Philbis,

Region Philbis wrote:

New York City police commissioner William Bratton has apologized to James Blake,
one day after the former tennis professional was handcuffed by officers after a
case of mistaken identity ...

How impressive is that - with Blake being an internationally known athlete who has a very high profile in New York? It's good he apologized okay, but I'd be much more impressed if they apologized to the family of one of the scores of poor Joe Schmuckeys the NYPD has beaten or killed unjustly.

1 Reply

@snood,

You know I agree, but this bit of horrible is out on front. To me, good talked about. James Blake is a fine man and he was hurtled at by ridiculous idiots, and spoke sanely after that. Very cool man.

Bratton, he is not the worst person, I give him room. Also not always for.

1 Reply

@ossobuco,

Taken as a whole osso, I really can't say whether the apology wasn't 100% face-saving for the department and nothing else - knowing what kind of shitstorm was coming in the press if he didn't. Looking at the history of the "Stop-and-frisk-more-black-guys-than-even-live-in-the-city" NYPD, I don't see anything that would lead me to believe the apology comes out of any contrition or humanity.

1 Reply

Apologies are well and good but what are they going to do differently in the future?

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

egg-zact-ly

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@snood,

Yes, re the stop and frisk thing.

Sort of Kill the Pimples, my words, adding harm.

As you know, I'm no expert.

I read a book that I got in good will, by a white guy (I read police procedurals across the world), that I didn't just dismiss.

Edward Conlan, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Conlon

I'd be interested in your take.

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OK, I admit to ignorance. Tell me pros and cons re Bratton.

This isn't a trap, I'm interested.

I've read articles back some time ago.

I take it he is Mr. Stop and Search, though I'm not sure of that.

My earlier memories were that he helped Los Angeles.

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Finally. Snood and I have something in common in that we both believe that minorities, especially blacks, have been and continue to be completely mistreated by the police. The militarization of the police has been one of the serious failings of the 21st century. Let's go back to Adam-12 when I wouldn't have to tell my kids that the cops are not people to talk to.

1 Reply

@McGentrix,

I think my computer is broken. I thought I just read that McG thinks blacks are mistreated by police.

1 Reply

Apparently this guy is a known bad actor who is still on the force for some reason.

Quote:

Records show the officer who arrested former tennis star James 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 that the 38-year-old had been the subject of five complaints in a seven-month period in 2013.

http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/13630856/officer-james-blake-arrest-history-excessive-force-allegations

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@snood,

snood wrote:

I think my computer is broken. I thought I just read that McG thinks blacks are mistreated by police.

Nope, not broken at all. The has been a real change in the way police interact with the public in the last 20 years. Used to be you could talk to the average cop and have an actual conversation. Now you just hope you don't end up being shot. They bang your head into the ground while yelling "Stop Resisting!" into their microphones. Blacks in America have taken the brunt of this malfeasance by the police and I genuinely feel bad that it has happened.

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@engineer,

More details about the officer's past complaints and a video of the arrest of Blake.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nypd-james-blake-video_55f3330de4b063ecbfa45626

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Surprise, surprise, surprise!

It ends up that the "right" guy the police had mistaken James Blake for...

WAS INNOCENT TOO!!!!

That asshat cop just needed to body slam somebody(black)!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/11/1420432/-Not-only-was-tennis-star-James-Blake-innocent-so-was-the-other-black-man-they-said-he-looked-like#

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Tennis Star James Blake Attacked by Police

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