NEW YORK—New York City agreed on Wednesday to create a new position with a watchdog agency that hears complaints against the police as part of a settlement with retired tennis star James Blake, who was roughed up by a plainclothes officer in 2015.
Instead of a monetary award, the settlement creates a fellowship in Blake’s name with the Civilian Complaint Review Board to help people with complaints against the police. The fellowship will augment the existing procedure for complaints.
“It has been my intention since Day One to turn a negative situation into a positive and I think this fellowship accomplishes that goal,” Blake, 37, said in a joint statement with the city announcing the agreement.
“Transparency and accountability are critical to further strengthening the bonds between law enforcement officials and the communities they serve,” added Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Blake, who was the No. 4 ranked tennis player in the world in 2006, was waiting for a car outside a Manhattan hotel to take him to the U.S. Open on Sept. 9, 2015, when Officer James Frascatore tackled him without provocation or warning in what police said was a case of mistaken identity.
