Sheriff's deputy drops lawsuit against Raptors' Ujiri
Alameda County Sheriff's Deputy Alan Strickland has dropped his federal lawsuit against Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri, according to KTVU's Lisa Fernandez.
Ujiri also withdrew his countersuit, per Fernandez. Neither party will reportedly receive any money in the mutual agreement, and each side is responsible for their own attorney fees.
Strickland sued Ujiri following an altercation between the two during the Raptors' championship celebration in Oakland in 2019. After Toronto defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game 6, Ujiri headed toward the team to celebrate but was stopped by Strickland, who said the executive didn't possess the necessary credentials to be on the court.
In his suit, Strickland alleged that Ujiri then "hit him in the face and chest with both fists" and that he suffered injuries that would "result in some permanent disability." He sued for damages in excess of $75,000 and named the Raptors, their parent company Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and the NBA as defendants alongside Ujiri.
In a body camera video released by Ujiri's lawyers in August, the Raptors president is seen showing his credentials to Strickland. The deputy shoves him twice as Ujiri can be heard explaining he's the Raptors' president before pushing Strickland back.
Masai Ujiri's legal team has released body camera footage of his encounter with a security worker at Oracle Arena after the Raptors won the NBA championship. pic.twitter.com/56XWMpZy0P
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) August 19, 2020
"Masai has been completely vindicated, as we always knew he would be," an MLSE spokesperson said in a statement to Global News' Simon Ostler on Wednesday. "We are disappointed that he and his family have had to endure the past 18 months of worry and uncertainty, but for their sake, we are pleased the legal process has come to (an) end - and especially pleased that the claims against Masai and MLSE were dismissed entirely, free of any financial settlement.
"We continue to be deeply troubled by the fact that Masai was put in this position in the first place and believe he should never have had to defend himself. Masai is taking some time to process the ordeal and intends to address it publicly at a later date."
Alameda County Sheriff's spokesman Ray Kelly said the deputy had since returned to work and was assigned to administrative duties but didn't specify when Strickland returned.
Strickland's attorneys declined to comment, according to Fernandez.