Blake receives apology from NYPD commissioner

New York City Police Department commissioner William Bratton apologized to former tennis pro James Blake on Thursday, after Blake was tackled and handcuffed outside his hotel Wednesday in a case of mistaken identity.

Bratton said:

I spoke to Mr. Blake a short time ago and personally apologized for yesterday's incident. Mr. Blake indicated he would be willing to meet with the Internal Affairs Bureau as our investigation continues. Additionally, he said he would be returning the Mayor's earlier phone call to speak to him. Mr. Blake said he would like to meet with the Mayor (Bill de Blasio) and me at a future date, which we would be agreeable to.

The officer who tackled Blake - body slamming him to the ground, according to the former player - was "stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty," according to The New York Times, which called the punishment "a tacit acknowledgment that video of the arrest raised serious questions about (the officer's) actions."

Blake said the officer didn't identify himself as a policeman, and had no visible badge.

The Times has more:

The detectives who approached Mr. Blake were relying in part on an Instagram photo of someone believed to be involved in a credit card fraud ring that Mr. Bratton said looked like "the twin brother" of the former tennis star. That person turned out to have nothing to do with the scheme, police officials said, and they refused to make the photo public.

"(The officers) were real aggressive," a witness said, "like he robbed a bank. They were shoving him around."

Blake said his condition was fine, other than a few bumps and bruises, and that he was more shaken up by the incident than anything. He said he came public about what happened after discussing the incident with his wife.

(If) someone tackled (my wife) in broad daylight, paraded her around in a busy crowded sidewalk in New York City with handcuffs, with her cuffed behind her back and taking away her dignity, and I just I couldn't accept that and I know that a lot of people have no voice to have any recourse, and I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity to be sitting here with you to be able to tell this story and let people know this happens too often.

The United States Tennis Association released a statement in support of Blake, calling the incident "troubling."

James is the embodiment of a model citizen whose triumphs on and off the court continue to inspire tennis fans and non-fans alike. We will continue to offer our support to James in any way we can as this investigation unfolds.