Tennis Star James Blake Opens Up about NYPD Takedown
HARLOW: Former tennis star, James Blake, says a New York City police officer, who body slammed him and tackled him to the ground in a case of mistaken identity, should be fired. He sat down today with our Don Lemon for a one-on-one interview just a day after the NYPD released this video showing Blake being thrown to the sidewalk, then cuffed by an officer in plain clothes. The officer later admitted that Blake had been wrongfully detained. Was the officer mistaken in believing he was a suspect in a fraud case? Today, Don asked Blake if he thought race was a part of it at all.</s>DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Your mom says, "I'm glad he took the path of least resistance," she said. "It could have gotten really ugly. You don't think about them as being black until this kind of thing throws it back on you." She thinks it has something to do with race. He says it doesn't. Do you?</s>JAMES BLAKE, FORMER TENNIS PROFESSIONAL: You know, I think the race issue is a huge issue. I don't think it's appropriate for this incident because I think this incident needs to be more about the force and the fact that this can't be used and these kinds of police officers can't be encouraged to be back out on the streets. I think the issue of race is a bigger one for a whole different interview, and I don't want to muddy this situation, muddy this incident that really needs to create change in the police brutality, in the accountability of these police officers with the racial issue. I think there's probably -- there probably is a gray area with Bill Bratton being so clear one way and my mom being so clear the other way. I'm sure there is a gray area. And somewhere in the middle that we can talk about, but I think that's for really a different discussion.</s>LEMON: You said, "I am determined to use my voice to turn this unfortunate incident into a catalyst for change in the relationship between the police and the public they serve." If that's not through a lawsuit -- or maybe it is -- how does that work?</s>BLAKE: Well, like I said, I want to see change. I want to see this not happen. That was my first reaction once I realized that I need to speak up about this, is I can't imagine this happening to someone I care about and I don't want to go through this again. I don't want to go through it personally and I don't want to go through it and see it happen to anyone around me and I know there's a lot of people out there that feel the same way. We need to find a way to stop this from happening. I'm sure it won't be overnight. I'm sure tomorrow this is going to happen somewhere. I don't want that to be the case. I don't want it to be brushed, swept under the rug and said it happens once in awhile but we'll move past it. That's what I don't want. I don't want a lawsuit that says here's $5 million, go away. We're not going to talk about this again. I want to keep talking about this. I want to open a dialogue with Mayor de Blasio, with Commissioner Bratton, about real solutions, about accountability, about making sure that this isn't going to happen, and these types of police officers are no longer able to do this.</s>LEMON: What do you say to that officer if he's sitting where I am?</s>BLAKE: First thing I would say is you took advantage of me at a very vulnerable situation and in doing so, you hurt my family. I want him to know this isn't just hurting me. Every time he's done this or would do this, it hurts a whole family. That's not fair. That's not fair to use your badge to do that. Because you've got that badge and you are supposed to treat that with respect and honor, the way we are supposed to respect and honor it. I don't think he deserves, I would say to him I don't think he deserves to ever have that badge again.</s>HARLOW: Blake also said that at no point during the incident did the officer identify himself or offer any explanation of what was happening. You can watch that full interview at CNN.com right now. It is a desperate situation growing worse by the day. Refugees doing whatever it takes to make it to safety for them and their family. Much more on their difficult journey. Ivan Watson reports next.