James Blake: NYPD officer should be fired

Former tennis star James Blake, whose caught-on-camera takedown by a New York City police officer during a mistaken arrest prompted apologies from the mayor and police commissioner, told The AP his arresting officer should be fired.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio released a joint statement on Friday.

"As conveyed by Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Bratton previously, the City of New York extends deepest apologies to Mr. Blake. This incident remains under investigation to determine what contributed to the errors made, who may be held accountable, and what we can learn to prevent these mistakes from being repeated in the future.

"This Administration takes the mission of bringing the police and the community closer together very seriously. It is why the City has already invested nearly $29 million to retrain approximately 22,000 uniformed service members -- with thousands more to be retrained in the coming months. It's why we have invested in new technology, and developed new strategies that feature the most focused neighborhood policing efforts ever applied in a major city.

"And we are beginning to see results, with complaints to the CCRB down to the lowest levels in 14 years.

"This Administration will continue to vigorously implement these reforms that build trust and respect between police officers and the people they serve, while also keeping New York City the safest big city in America.

"And we both stand ready to meet with Mr. Blake to further discuss these issues and initiatives," Bratton and de Blasio said.