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 The incident occurred as Blake, formerly the world's fourth-ranked
player, was calmly standing by the entrance of a midtown Manhattan
hotel, waiting for a car to take him to the U.S. Open.
Blake, 35, standing alone by the entrance of the Grand Hyatt hotel
on 42nd Street on Sept. 9, was rushed by the officer who gave no
warning or identification.
Blake is black while the officer, James Frascatore, is white. The
incident revived questions over excessive police force that has
reverberated around the country after a series of police killings of
unarmed black men.
After giving no resistance to the Frascatore, Blake was handcuffed
and led out of the view of the camera. The video was released by the
NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau, which said in a brief statement that
they had interviewed Blake and given his lawyers a copy.
"The investigation is still ongoing," NYPD Deputy Commissioner
Stephen Davis said in a statement accompanying the video.
 Police have said Blake had been mistakenly identified by "a
cooperating witness" as being involved in a ring dealing in
fraudulently purchased cellphones. They added that allegations of
excessive force would be investigated by internal affairs.
The video, one minute in length, shows passersby on the street
glancing over at the incident as it unfolded but not stopping. Only
one person pauses to tell the officer something has dropped out of
his pocket.
Blake, in a statement released through his lawyer Kevin Marino, said
he believes the vast majority of police officers are dedicated
public servants who operate appropriately, but what happened to him
"is not uncommon."
Both NYPD Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio
have publicly apologized to Blake. Frascatore was placed on modified
assignment. Bratton has questioned the tactics Frascatore used while
other media have reported the officer has had five civilian
complaints filed against him.
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"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,"
Blake said.
He called upon the city "to make a significant financial commitment"
toward improving that relationship.
In a joint statement issued late on Friday, de Blasio and Bratton
defended their approach to improving relations between the police
and the community, citing nearly $29 million spent on police
retraining programs.
"And we are beginning to see results, with complaints to the CCRB
(Civilian Complaint Review Board) down to the lowest levels in 14
years," the statement said, adding: "And we both stand ready to meet
with Mr. Blake to further discuss these issues and initiatives."
Bratton said he was concerned that no report had been made of
Blake's arrest and detention, a violation of department policy.
Blake was released within roughly 15 minutes, but suffered a cut to
his left elbow and bruises to his left leg. He was on his way to
make a scheduled corporate appearance at the U.S. Open tennis
tournament in the borough of Queens.
(Additional reporting by Katy Reilly; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli
and Christian Plumb)
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