MIDTOWN — Police released a video of a plainclothes officer violently tackling former tennis pro James Blake, throwing him to the ground and then handcuffing him while kneeling on his back.
The recording shows Officer James Frascatore taking down Blake Wednesday around noon as the retired tennis star was waiting outside the Grand Hyatt on 42nd Street for a ride to the U.S Open.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton again offered their "deepest apologies" after releasing the footage.
"This incident remains under investigation to determine what contributed to the errors made, who may be held accountable, and what we can learn to prevent these mistakes from being repeated in the future," the leaders said in the statement. "This Administration takes the mission of bringing the police and the community closer together very seriously."
Blake was released after being handcuffed for 15 minutes, he said. Police said he had been mistaken for a suspect wanted for credit card fraud.
The incident quickly became a public relations headache for the NYPD. Bratton and de Blasio publicly apologized for the incident on Thursday morning.
Frascatore, who was stripped of his badge and gun and put on desk duty, has two pending lawsuits against him for use of excessive force, according to court records.
