Forceful detention of ex-tennis pro James Blake 'not racial'

The New York Police Commissioner has said that race was not a factor when five police officers tackled former professional tennis star James Blake.

Image copyrightAP

Image captionMr Blake retired from the professional tennis world in 2013

Speaking on CNN, Bill Bratton said: "Let's put that nonsense to rest right now, race has nothing to do with this."

Mr Blake has alleged that a group of five plain-clothed police officers used improper force when they slammed him to the ground on Wednesday.

The police have said that the officers mistakenly believed he was a suspect.

"If you take a look at the photograph of the suspect, it looks like the twin brother of Mr Blake," the police commissioner said on the US network's breakfast programme. And a witness identified Mr Blake as the suspect.

Mr Blake told the New York Daily News that he was detained and held for 15 minutes as he waited for a car to take him to the US Open.

Once it was determined that Mr Blake was not the suspect, he was released.

Mr Blake, 35, said he suffered a cut on his arm and bruises on his legs, and wants an apology. He said the officers did not speak to him before they pushed him to the ground.

"You'd think they could say: 'Hey, we want to talk to you. We are looking into something'," Mr Blake told the NY Daily News.

Once the fourth-ranked player in the world, Mr Blake was set to make an appearance at the US Open for the Time-Warner Cable company.

He retired following his US Open exit in 2013 after winning 10 singles titles in a career in which he also became the number one US player.

Police said a "co-operating witness" mistakenly identified Mr Blake as being involved in "a ring dealing in fraudulently purchased cell phones".

Image copyrightAP

Image captionProtests about police conduct have been held in New York

Image copyrightGetty Images

Image caption"There's no reason for anybody to do that to anybody," Mr Blake said

Mr Blake, who is mixed race, said race may have contributed to the incident. All of the officers were white.

However he said his primary concern was with the amount of force used.

"In my mind there's probably a race factor involved, but no matter what there's no reason for anybody to do that to anybody," he told the newspaper.

The New York Police Department said it was investigating whether the officers used excessive force.

The department has recently been involved in a number of high-profile cases involving accusations of police brutality.

In the most prominent case, a man selling illegal cigarettes died in July 2014 after being subdued by several police officers. Eric Garner's violent arrest was filmed by a bystander.

A decision not to criminally charge the officers led to widespread protests across the city.