Video: Blake Seeks "Lasting Impact" After Meeting with NYC Mayor

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Video: Blake Seeks "Lasting Impact" After Meeting with NYC Mayor

Video of James Blake's mistreatment by a New York City police officer—Blake was body slammed, handcuffed and detained for 15 minutes—went viral.

Blake met with New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and police commissioner William Bratton on Monday expressing hope for reforms of "lasting impact" in the aftermath of the abuse.

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"The general theme was accountability and making sure we focused on that with the police officers in general," Blake told the media after his meeting in Manhattan. "I feel like we've made a lot of progress. We're all pleasantly surprised. I feel like both sides of the table we're on the same page looking to move forward turning a negative into a positive.

"We're talking about lasting impact. We're not looking for a quick lawsuit. We're not looking for anything that's going to be a quick and easy solution. We're looking for a lasting positive impact on the city and on the police force."

Sudden impact struck Blake earlier this month.

In a case of mistaken identity, Blake was tackled, handcuffed and held by a New York City police officer. Standing in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in mid-town Manhattan, Blake was texting while waiting for transportation to the US Open. Acting on a tip, a plain-clothes officer who did not identify himself and did not display a badge, charged, body slammed Blake and handcuffed him for 15 minutes mistakenly believing Blake was a criminal.

The incident gained national attention. Blake has said the officer, James Frascatore, "doesn't deserve" his badge and should be fired.

WNYC, New York's public radio station, reported Frascatore was named in five civilian complaints during a seven-month period in 2013.

The officer is currently on desk duty pending investigation into the incident. Ultimately, his punishment will be determined by commissioner Bratton.

"The process will sort itself out quickly...I'm confident of that," said Blake, who was born in Yonkers NY, grew up playing at the Harlem Junior Tennis Center, went to high school in Fairfield, Connecticut and attended Harvard.

Photo credit: NY Daily News

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