Blake calls for firing of officer
The internal disciplinary trial of a New York City police officer who tackled retired pro tennis player James Blake concluded Tuesday, but the public — and Blake — might never learn the details of any punishment. Officer disciplinary records are secret under state law, city officials say.
Officer James Frascatore, who arrested Blake outside a Manhattan hotel in 2015, has been accused of using inappropriate force on someone who never resisted or tried to flee.
Frascatore was part of an undercover operation targeting credit card fraud and mistakenly thought Blake, who was waiting for a car to take him to the U.S. Open, was one of the suspects. The arrest was captured on security video.
Lawyers for the police watchdog group prosecuting the case recommended he forfeit 10 vacation days as a punishment. A judge will recommend a potentially more severe punishment, including dismissal from the nation’s largest police force. The police commissioner has the final say.
Blake, who has a black father and white mother, on Tuesday called for the mayor and commissioner to fire Frascatore, who’s white, and to make the decision public.
Dave Rimington, who became the most decorated offensive lineman in college football history in the early 1980s, was named Nebraska’s interim athletic director as the school searches for a permanent successor to Shawn Eichorst, who was fired last week amid dissatisfaction with the Cornhuskers’ football program.
Baylor receiver Chris Platt is expected to miss the rest of the season because of a left knee injury. Coach Matt Rhule said that defensive end Xavier Jones also is probably done for the year because of a broken bone in his foot. Both players were hurt in the Bears’ 49-41 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday.
A two-goal performance by Cristiano Ronaldo gave Real Madrid a 3-1 win at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, keeping the defending champions at the top of Group H along with Tottenham, which defeated APOEL 3-0 in Cyprus.
Liverpool was held to a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow to remain winless after two matches, and Manchester City made it two wins in a row with a 2-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in England. FC Porto picked up a stunning 3-0 victory at Monaco, and Sevilla beat Maribor of Slovenia 3-0 in Spain.