BACKSPIN

NYPD Officer Suing James Blake, the Tennis Star He Tackled and Wrongfully Arrested

Video shows the cop taking down tennis pro James Blake; and now he’s suing his own victim.

The NYPD officer who tackled and wrongfully arrested retired tennis star James Blake has announced that he will sue Blake, the publisher of Blake’s memoir, the director of a police complaint board, the NYPD, and the city of New York. Officer James Frascatore tackled Blake while the tennis star was standing outside his hotel in 2015, prompting media outcry and a complaint with the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, which accused Frascatore of “brutal, unprovoked violence.” Frascatore later purchased a copy of Blake’s book, which addresses the incident, and the officer complained that he became “very angry and upset while reading it.” His lawsuit will reportedly target people whom he says have now described him as racist because of the incident.