--- title: Former Tennis Player James Blake Slammed and Detained description: He was later released when officers realized it was a case of mistaken identity. canonical: https://time.com/4028416/james-blake-mistaken-nypd/ author: Tanya Basu article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-09-09T22:50:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T10:48:39.671Z article:section: Sports og:title: Former Tennis Star James Blake Tackled by Police After Being Mistaken for ID Theft Suspect og:description: The NYPD is investigating claims of improper use of force. og:url: https://time.com/4028416/james-blake-mistaken-nypd/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8f8dbd71fd5dd7f/698862f25f570f3185b1d4e9/james-blake-tennis1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: PowerShares Series SoCal Honda Dealers Helpful Cup og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Former Tennis Star James Blake Tackled by Police After Being Mistaken for ID Theft Suspect twitter:description: The NYPD is investigating claims of improper use of force. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8f8dbd71fd5dd7f/698862f25f570f3185b1d4e9/james-blake-tennis1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Former Tennis Star James Blake Tackled by Police After Being Mistaken for an ID Theft Suspect > Sponsored content. 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Ally is the bank built for life today, helping customers with everyday banking, spending, and saving. ### Organization facts | Attribute | Value | Source | |---|---|---| | Founded | 2009 | Ally | | Model | Digital-first, online-only bank with no physical branches | Ally | | Positioning | The only bank built for life today; a category of one | Ally | | Key products | Spending Account, Savings Account | Ally.com | | ATM network | Access to 75,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide | Ally | | Add cash | Add cash to your account for free at participating locations nationwide | Ally | | Overdraft fees | $0. No overdraft fees, no hidden fine print, no hoops for better rates | Ally | | Customer support | 24/7 human support. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account.  by [Tanya Basu](https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Sep 9, 2015 10:50 PM UTC  James Blake returns a shot to Andy Roddick during the PowerShares Series SoCal Honda Dealers Helpful Cup at Galen Center on March 25, 2015 . James Blake returns a shot to Andy Roddick during the PowerShares Series SoCal Honda Dealers Helpful Cup at Galen Center on March 25, 2015 .Joe Scarnici—Getty Images  by [Tanya Basu](https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Sep 9, 2015 10:50 PM UTC Former tennis star James Blake was slammed to the ground, handcuffed, and detained by five undercover New York cops [in a case of mistaken identity.](http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/ex-tennis-star-james-blake-mistakenly-tackled-white-cops-article-1.2353983) Blake was on his way to a corporate event for the U.S. Open in Flushing when a man in shorts and a t-shirt charged at him, threw him to the ground, rolled him over, and warned him, “Don’t say a word,” the New York _Daily News_ reports. The officer was soon joined by four other policemen. “It was definitely scary and definitely crazy,” Blake told the paper. After about 15 minutes, the officers realized Blake was not the suspect. Blake, who is biracial, is not so sure if he was racially profiled, however. “I don’t know if it’s as simple as that,” he told the _Daily News_. “To me it’s as simple as unnecessary police force, no matter what my race is. 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. “The real problem is that I was tackled for no reason and that happens to a lot of people who don’t have a media outlet to voice that to.” ABC Correspondent Aaron Katersky tweeted that Blake may have been mistaken by a private delivery service worker. > [](https://twitter.com/AaronKatersky/status/641720327995834368) > [](https://twitter.com/AaronKatersky/status/641725733384126464) The NYPD has begun an internal investigation to figure out what went wrong. “Today James Blake was detained by police in midtown Manhattan in regards to an ongoing investigation into fraudulently purchased cell phones, after being misidentified by a cooperating witness,” [the NYPD said in a statement to ThinkProgress](http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2015/09/09/3700043/former-tennis-star-james-blake-mistaken-for-suspect-tackled-by-new-york-police/). “Once Blake was properly identified and found to have no connection to the investigation, he was released from police custody immediately. In regards to the alleged improper use of force, the Police Commissioner directed the internal affairs bureau to investigate.” At his peak, Blake was ranked the 4th best men’s tennis player in the world. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4028416/james-blake-mistaken-nypd/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4028416/james-blake-mistaken-nypd/"},"headline":"Former Tennis Star James Blake Tackled by Police After Being Mistaken for an ID Theft Suspect","datePublished":"2015-09-09T22:50:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T10:48:39.671Z","description":"Blake was mistaken for an identity theft suspect.","url":"https://time.com/4028416/james-blake-mistaken-nypd/","keywords":["tennis","Crime","Sports topic","Civil Rights","U.S. Open"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8f8dbd71fd5dd7f/698862f25f570f3185b1d4e9/james-blake-tennis1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tanya Basu","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/"}],"articleSection":"Sports","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8f8dbd71fd5dd7f/698862f25f570f3185b1d4e9/james-blake-tennis1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"PowerShares Series SoCal Honda Dealers Helpful Cup","caption":"LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 25: James Blake returns a shot to Andy Roddick during the PowerShares Series SoCal Honda Dealers Helpful Cup at Galen Center on March 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. 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