Former tennis player James Blake gives revealing interview about mistaken arrest

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Monday, October 26, 2015
James Blake interview with ESPN
Former tennis pro James Blake speaks out about NYPD incident.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Former pro tennis player James Blake gave a revealing interview to ESPN about his mistaken arrest in Midtown Manhattan in September.

Surveillance video shows Officer James Frascatore tackling Blake outside a hotel on 42nd Street after mistaking him for a suspect.

In the interview with ESPN, Blake talked about telling his wife.

"I initially wanted to sweep it under the rug until I called my wife right away when I got in the car," Blake said. "She said, 'what if this had happened to me?' And that infuriated me. That's when I wanted to say 'I'm going to make this public.'"

The civilian complaint review board found Frascatore used excessive force. He is on desk duty and will face an administrative trial.

Following the incident, Blake also spoke with Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton about the incident.

Click here to watch Blake's full interview on ESPN.