Until yesterday, most of the chatter about the U.S. Open was centered on the sibling rivalry between Serena and Venus Williams.
However, when James Blake was mistakenly handcuffed by NYPD the conversation changed.
Blake was on his way to the U.S. Open in New York yesterday when, according to the tennis star, at least five plainclothes officers tackled and handcuffed him.
As the 35-year-old waited outside of his Manhattan hotel for a car to take him to the tournament, the officers approached him.
NYPD claims that a witness wrongly identified Blake as suspect in an investigation concerning cell phones purchased with fake credit cards.
According to the New York Post, NYPD said, "Once Blake was properly identified and found to have no connection to the investigation, he was released from police custody immediately.”
Blake didn’t leave the incident unscathed though. In fact, he suffered minor injuries during the arrest. The New York Daily News reported that Blake’s injuries included a cut elbow and bruises on his leg.
Of course, Blake is p*ssed. He told the Daily News, "There’s no reason for anybody to do that to anybody.”
He added, "I was just standing there. I wasn’t running. It’s not even close [to being okay]. It’s blatantly unnecessary."
The NYPD’s statement acknowledged Blake’s injuries and his claim of excessive force. The statement mentioned that "the Police Commissioner directed the internal affairs bureau to investigate."
According to Blake’s Facebook page, he will publicly address the incident on Thursday.
Blake has a history of strange occurrences. Just last year, four people were killed in a fire at James Blake’s home. The tennis pro was renting the home and wasn’t present when the tragedy occurred.
