Former tennis pro James Blake assaulted by a cop

[GMDino]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/002da00fd89c49828c5375875e236080/ex-tennis-star-james-blake-fire-nyc-officer-who-tackled-me#overlay-context=article/258b39d1dcb8496cbf0dfbf70452451f/latest-man-held-isnt-top-suspect-freeway-shootings

Quote:The arresting officer, James Frascatore, who has been with the NYPD for four years, has been named in several civil rights lawsuits alleging excessive force. He has also been the subject of four civilian complaints — an above-average number for NYPD officers, according to complaint data.

"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."

A message left at a number listed for Frascatore, 38, wasn't immediately returned. Officials have said he was exonerated of one civilian complaint, a second was unsubstantiated and he was sanctioned for not identifying himself in a third. The status of the fourth complaint was unclear.

A spokesman for his union did not return a message seeking comment Saturday. But on Friday, Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said Blake's arrest was made "under fluid circumstances where the subject might have fled, and the officer did a professional job of bringing the individual to the ground."

Frascatore has been placed on desk duty while internal affairs detectives continue their investigation. At issue is not only Blake's takedown but whether the use-of-force wasn't properly reported up the chain of command — leaving police brass to learn of it only after Blake spoke to the media.

But determining what discipline, if any, Frascatore could receive won't happen any time soon.

Depending on the results of an internal investigation, he could face departmental charges. If Frascatore chooses to fight those charges, he would do so in a departmental trial where he could face potential punishments ranging from a loss of vacation days to performance monitoring or other disciplinary actions.