James Blake: NYPD Officer who tackled me should be fired

James Blake wants the officer who tackled him to be fired.

Former No. 4 player in the world James Blake wants the officer who tackled and handcuffed him to be fired, he told The Associated Press on Saturday.

On Wednesday, Blake was tackled to the ground, handcuffed and detained by police after they mistook him for a suspect in an identity theft case. The officer who was physical with Blake, James Frascatore, has been named in several excessive force lawsuits.

"I think that that kind of police officer tarnishes the badge, which I have the utmost respect for and I believe that the majority of police officers do great work and they're heroes," Blake told the AP. "So this person doesn't ever belong in the same sentence with the heroes that are doing the right kind of police work and keeping the public safe."

Commissioner William Bratton apologized personally to Blake earlier this week. Bratton will decide if Frascatore, who has been moved to desk duty, will keep his job.

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Video of Blake's mistaken arrest was released earlier this week:

NYPD releases video of James Blake being arrested. pic.twitter.com/OD4HQINlJy

— Ryan Ruggiero (@RyanRuggiero) September 11, 2015

– Rohan Nadkarni