*In what some might determine is one of those all blacks look alike scenarios, retired black tennis star James Blake will have a new story to tell in the future book he might write.
Accosted by five white undercover cops in front of his midtown Manhattan hotel in a case of mistaken identity, the man who once ranked No. 4 in the world of tennis was probably made to feel like something beneath a shoe when he slammed to the ground, handcuffed, and held there for 15 minutes.
“It was definitely scary and definitely crazy,” said Blake, adding that none of the men initially identified themselves as a police officer. His right eye appeared a bit red hours later at the hotel.
Blake was taken down around noon, as the cops were investigating a credit card fraud operation.
And while Blake, a Harvard-educated man, was eventually recognized for the pro he is, by a former cop who stated, “That is James Blake, the tennis player.”
Blake says the first cop involved never apologized to him for the brutal, erroneous arrest.
A police source said Blake was misidentified as a suspect wanted for buying a cellphone with a bogus credit card. A man who was standing near Blake was arrested in connection with the scam, police said.
“At some point you think they would get the memo that this is not OK. But it seems as if there is no stopping it.” –James Blake
Read more at EURThisNthat.
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