Police Commissioner Bill Bratton is extending his apologies to former tennis pro James Blake after he was thrown to the ground and detained by police in a case of mistaken identity Wednesday.
Blake was tackled and handcuffed in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Midtown.
The NYPD says Blake was misidentified during an investigation into cell phones that were bought with fake credit cards.
The officer who charged at him has had his gun and badge stripped.
Bratton says that he has been trying to call Blake to apologize personally.
"I would be very interested, as well as the mayor, to talk with him to extend my apologies for the incident which he found himself involved in. Mr. Blake had no role of involvement in the criminal investigation that we were conducting and was totally innocent of any involvement," Bratton told reporters at One Police Plaza Thursday.
Blake was released after he was recognized by a former police officer who works at the hotel.
Bratton says race was not an issue in the arrest, noting witnesses told officers they believed he had sold phones to a man who looked like Blake on Tuesday.
NYPD internal affairs is investigating the incident.
Blake on Wednesday said that he was looking forward to hearing the results of the police's investigation.