NYPD: “Race has nothing to do with this”

Slate has an article by Ben Mathis-Lilley about the latest problem for the NYPD:

NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton (photo) said on CNN that racial bias was not a factor in the mistaken detention of a black ex-tennis pro who was allegedly slammed to the ground by a white officer outside a high-end hotel, calling the suggestion "nonsense". Former tennis star James Blake, who's also a former Harvard student, said that he had been thrown down outside Manhattan's Grand Hyatt hotel and handcuffed for fifteen minutes before being told that he'd been mistakenly identified as the suspect in a credit-card fraud case. From CNN:
"Sorry, race has nothing at all to do with this," Bratton told CNN's New Day on Thursday. "If you look at the photograph of the suspect, it looks like the twin brother of Blake. So let's put that nonsense to rest right now."
Bratton was more concilliatory in his remarks to the NY1 news channel Wednesday night:

"It's very disturbing. He claims that he was rushed by a person in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt who pushed him to the ground who was assisted by four others who identified themselves, ultimately, as police officers and that he suffered an injury as a result of that. Just the nature of what he described is not what we do," Bratton said.

The NYPD's internal affairs unit is reportedly investigating the incident.

Rico says he wonders how they'll explain this one away...