Police have released surveillance footage showing a police officer tackling former tennis star James Blake outside a midtown hotel. Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bratton have since apologized to Blake for the case of mistaken identity. Plainclothes officer James Frascatore was placed on modified assignment as the Internal Affairs Bureau investigates. Blake, who is bi-racial, said "I do think most cops are doing a great job of keeping us safe, but when you police with reckless abandon you need to be held accountable." What's your reaction to the surveillance video? Do you consider this excessive force or a police officer doing a dangerous job? Should Officer Frascatore be disciplined? What question do you want answered in this investigation? Have you ever had a similar encounter with police?
Schiumo's Thoughts
Tackle first, ask questions later. Then hope the suspect wasn't once the fourth-ranked tennis player on the planet.
Your Thoughts
All cops are bad because the good ones stick by the bad ones and stand by and let bad things happen and assist with the cover up.
Audra
Police Brutality.
Roscoe, Park Hill
Going from the video alone, the tackle looks totally unjustified. There was no indication that the police officer identified himself as such, or read his miranda rights. Personally if that had happened to me I might have been compelled to defend myself for fear that I that I was being attacked by a random stranger. If the officer then shot or further assaulted me would his actions then be considered justified because I would have been accused of "resisting arrest"? His actions are totally unacceptable, and he should be seriously reprimanded and stripped of his badge.
George
Good evening. I am a recently retired detective of 22 years. Several things I would like to share with you. First, as to hiding the arrest. If an officer makes an arrest that may warrant media attention a notification to 1 Police Plaza is to be made. The officers immediate supervisor who was at the scene should have instructed the officer to make that notification. Remember the officer involved only has 4 years on the job. Second, the grand larceny unit should have experienced officers, (meaning more than 5 years of experience.) Third, a witness ID'd Mr. Blake and the officer acted in good faith when he arrested Mr. Blake. Fourth, the officer used force to make sure Mr. Blake did not run. Remember if suspects run it opens the door to innocent people getting hurt. Officers who would respond to a chase might get in a car accident or worse hit a pedestrian as they responded to the scene. Lastly, executives in the police department are pressured to lower crime numbers in an already historically low crime rate environment. They push young officers to make arrests. The officer in question should not be in the unit concerned. But executives and supervisors find it easier to manage young officers because they do what they are told.
Anonymous
I definitely know the way James Blake feels due to the fact that it also happened to me. What I saw on that video was devastating to me it was PTSD thrown on the floor, hand cuffed I just can't understand why officers before don't have the individual correct identity information before they just go and arrest the person.
Wendy
Phil from Jamaica Estates....this was about race....if James Blake was white, he would NEVER have been tackled the way he was. Phil....get your head out of the cloud you're in and join the real world...where race is an issue! I can only guess you're not a very successful attorney...not with your bigoted and racist beliefs.
Dawn
The arrest of James Blake was not for a violent crime, it was for suspect in a Credit Card Fraud; this arrest was violent and a crime by the police officer. Look at the eyes of James Blake and how surprised he was, even if James Blake was the person the police was looking for there is no reason to treat a human being that way. The manner of the arrest was not a tackle, it was a brutal assault even if one is a police officer. Violent crimes or a violent criminal who is know to attack officers or anyone you have to be on guard against an attack, the first news report said is was for a stolen cell phone and James Blake fit the description. The news report along with the Police statement did not fit the video, The police never identified himself.
Hugh
Why hasn't the Manhattan DA filed charges? This is clearly assault, or are the NYPD above the laws? The Blake episode highlights and speaks volumes about a "failed system." Our system is institutionally broken. If James Blake was not a famous tennis superstar we would not be having this discussion. This happens every day to black males and it goes unreported. Senior officials will always "close ranks" offering empty promises; We will look into this, it won't happen again etc "The officer did a professional job", risible. He should be fired. It's sad that the USA has gone from the world's greatest democracy to a plutocracy and is headed towards a tyrannical police state where we are being conditioned to accept assault as acceptable behavior.
Lenny
I could not agree more with the previous caller, Phil. He said what so many of us are afraid to say with the fear of being called a racist. Not everything is about race. We as a society are making it about race. Mr. Blake himself said he did not feel like he was a victim of racial profiling. On this dreadful day we should be remembering the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice and appreciating the service men and women we have who would do it all over again (God forbid) if need be.
Jessica
Phil from Jamaica Estates Is an idiot. It could be brought up that most of the brutal cops are of Italian descent, but let's not lump all Italian-Americans in that nasty category.
Frances, East Village
The video makes it clear that Officer Frascatore had no intention of approaching James Blake in a non-violent manner, even though by all accounts the officer was responding to a non-violent situation. Officer Frascatore had no reasonable suspicion that Mr. Blake had acted violently or was going to be violent, and could certainly see for himself that Mr. Blake wasn't being violent, and yet the officer never gave Mr. Blake a chance to surrender to the police non-violently, choosing instead to escalate the situation when no escalation was needed. James Blake wasn't arrested; he was mugged by the NYPD. I can only hope this makes other cops think twice before assaulting other people in the future.
Chris, Lower East Side
But body camrea's are no good they don't tell the hold story say who now!!.
R.Bryant,Bklyn,N,Y.
The officer was totally out of control I'm tired of the Mayor and the commissioner solving problems with talk of retraining Yes the officer was responding to a description so I don't see racial bias in this incident. However this brutality needs to be addressed if not it's only going to escalate the rift between the black community and the NYPD Responsibility needs to be taken by the department as well as the black community
Mike in Chelsea
This is the fault of everyone that knew this officer had prior accusations of assault and violent behavior lodged against him and looked the other way. Supervisors have a responsibility to expose criminality instead of allowing this behavior to be covered up. This officer was on track to be promoted to detective. It appears that some officers are allowed to abuse certain citizens with impunity. When the Department really wants to make a change, heads will role. Enough with investigations that go absolutely nowhere!
Julia
This undercover officer must have been working on a case. We don't know what really happened and we will never know.
AS
It's hard to believe that we have the technology to go to mars but still are so culturally and socially living in the middle ages. You could only bring someone down like that if you don't see that person as a human being. His moves looked like he was watching to many MMA bouts.
Kenny Jackson Hts.
Please show photo of the suspect he looks like James Blake’s identical twin. This has nothing to do with race. Would the public be alleging excessive force if it had been used on the suspect?
Janice Gramercy Park
I am so glad that this is the topic tonight. I sent an email this morning suggesting this to be the topic after hearing the Mayor's "apology". The first question is where are the public apologies to all the no name regular citizens of the city that are abused by the police on a regular basis. The citizens that are wrongly arrested all the time. Where are the public apologies from the mayor and police commissioner to the people that are wrongly imprisoned? How long do we need to continue to talk about abusive behavior by city employees, police officers, that are employed to uphold the laws of our city. And yet these people are continued to get away with law breaking behavior because they have a title. Maybe if every time a police officer wronged a citizen or broke a law the mayor had to make a public apology, maybe the police would start behaving! We need police that abide by our laws and lead by example. Enough rouge hot blooded cops that don't respect the citizens that they work for.
Katie in Ditmas Park
Just suppose that was the right guy, don't you think the police did the right move?
David from UWS
I want to say the what it really bathers me is this police officer already have many complaints and nothing happens but because it was a famous person they put a end to this bad police officer.
Johel.
What I'm confused about is how people can think that is not about race? How often does it occur that a white man is mistakenly identified as a white collar criminal and tackled. They failed to identify themselves or even read him his rights, The officers detained him with no evidence of committing a crime. As a black man who lives and works here in Manhattan, who is serving and protecting me from the police? Who will fight for my rights to live as freely as my white counterparts, To add insult to injury the man who's picture they are floating around as his twin is not even guilty of credit card fraud. The mayor and commissioner need to get on the right side of the situation or they may find that down the line their jobs are in jeopardy.
Horace
With everything that is going on in world today, crazy people everywhere with knife attacks, pushing’s on the subway tracks, knock games, and so on... So what if I or someone else sees some psycho bald guy attacking you, what would you do? What if you fight back and it is not captured on surveillance video. Blake could have fought back to defend himself, and what if a good samaritan stepped in to help of what looks like another random attack. We would be killed by the cops and Blue wall starts!!!
Marc, Tribeca
I'd like to have cops tested immediately for drugs and alcohol following unjustified use of force. Also would that officer have thrown a female suspect to the ground the way he did Mr Blake.
George, Clinton Hills
A person could be simply standing there and he's mentally ill or, physically ill or simply waiting for something truly important, & out of nowhere a jackass knocks you down? No way! It ain't civilized. It's a new generation of imbeciles that get hired and become cops today.
MZ Queens
The officer is lucky James did not have a heart attack. James did not need to be treated that way. The officer was charging for Fraud.
DB
We have been engaged to on going roar of police brutality for months and years on end. When will the war end? When will our citizens in New York City and all around the United States feel comfortable in their own country from their own people? Hundreds have experienced this sad reality. And nothing has been done. Some have been killed and locked up for no reason. Race and identity has so much to do with the bisas occurring in this country. And retraining is never going to succeed. Consequences are. Why must a well known tennis player get so much rights and justice? I'm not saying he shouldn't. But why once it happens to this person? It has fully attention on the public and NYPD. Why is that the time we jump at the reactions to make change. NYPD needs to change their act.
Crystal
This is nothing new for these "blue bloods"!! These officers need to start getting dismissed. This is common practice among NYPD... Fired I say!
Kim, Harlem
The only people who will stop this from reoccurring are the other Officers who are present when things like this happen. It should not be tolerated by his peers or Supervisors. All Officers who were present at the time and failed to report it should also be disciplined. If the good Officers don't step up and say enough is enough, then it will keep happening.
Vernon
The Cop has a checkered track record. We're talking about Credit Card Fraud --NOT Murder or Drugs! He didn't file an Arrest Report. He thinks he's Rambo. This is why The Black Community hates Cops
Thomas
There's no doubt that James Blake deserved an apology but then so do all Blackmen in NYC to which this type of thing happens everyday. Will the Mayor and Bratton offer up a collective apology to those victims of mistaken identity? What dictates who deserves an apology or not?
Stacy frm Clinto Hill
The officer should be suspended without pay. This isn't his first incident with a civilian and he never told James he was a cop. If he wasn't sure about the identity, he should have been sure before using such force. Something like this has no place in our world.
John from Manhattan
It was a great take down by the officer, unfortunately the witness / victim identified the wrong man. The officer should have done a UF250 or a voided arrest form and explained to Mr Blake why he did what he did. And he should have apologized at the scene. Other than that it is much ado about nothing.
Gregory C from Holliswood
Get rid of these mad dog cops. There is no reason to keep them on or have the tax payers pay their salaries and pensions. They are psychos!
Frances, EV
I've seen the video and what the cop did to Mr. Blake was absolutely wrong, he was just standing there waiting for his ride to the U.S. Open and then a cop bum-rushes him for no reason. The Officer should of identified himself as a member of the NYPD and asked Mr.. Blake for ID, the officer should be fired not on desk duty. A majority of the officers working for the NYPD are good people but then they're some bad apples that have to be re-trained or fired because of bad behavior. I'm glad the Mayor and P.C. did apologize to Me. Blake, the officer should do that too. i have nerver had a encounter with the NYPD because i'm a good person, I respect the NYPD and they respect me. God bless the NYPD FDNY PAPD and MTA Police, never forget 9-11-01 Stay Safe!!!!
Herman, Upper West
Police officer Frascatore needs to be suspended or fired, how can you just tackle and arrest someone without even a dialogue, the question is how many more of these incidents has Frascatore been involved in?
Felix