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OAKLAND, Calif .– A law enforcement officer in California who pursued the president of the Toronto Raptors for a brawl in 2019 over the team’s NBA Finals win over the Golden State Warriors has quit its action Wednesday.
The Raptors had just won their first title at Oracle Arena in Oakland on June 13, 2019, when Raptors president Masai Ujiri took to the pitch to join his party in celebration.
Alameda County Sheriff’s Deputy Alan Strickland claimed in a federal lawsuit filed last February that he arrested Ujiri for failing to provide the proper credentials, which led to to a scramble match which was partially captured on video. Strickland alleged that Ujiri hit him “in the face and chest with both fists”, tried to get around him and repeatedly ignored orders to stop.
The lawsuit claimed that Strickland suffered “physical, mental, emotional and economic injuries,” including lost wages, missed opportunity for financial gain and future earning capacity. He also cited past and future medical care and expenses, and named his wife as the complainant. The lawsuit sought $ 75,000 in damages.
Strickland’s attorneys did not immediately respond to Associated Press emails requesting comment.
In August, Ujiri’s lawyers filed a cross-lawsuit saying that video footage showed Strickland was “unmistakably the original aggressor” in the confrontation and that the new evidence would justify Ujiri.
One of his lawyers, Tamarah Prevost, said on Wednesday that Ujiri also dropped his lawsuit against Strickland, in which he alleged that Strickland used excessive force against him and stressed that he would never have been treated with such disrespect if he hadn’t been Black.
Prevost declined to comment further and referred all requests to the team.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, owner of the Raptors, said in a statement that Ujiri “had been completely vindicated.”
“We are happy that the legal process has come to an end – and especially happy that the claims made against Masai and MLSE have been dismissed entirely, without any financial settlement,” the company said. “We continue to be deeply troubled that Masai was placed in this position in the first place, and we believe he should never have had to defend himself. Masai is taking some time to process the ordeal, and intends to address it publicly at a later date. “
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