OAKLAND, Calif. – A California law enforcement official who sued the Toronto Raptors president over a 2019 altercation after the team’s NBA victory over the Golden State Warriors dropped his lawsuit on Wednesday.
The Raptors had just won their first title at the Oracle Arena in Oakland on June 13, 2019, when Raptors president Masai Ujiri entered the court to join his festival team.
Alan Strickland, deputy sheriff of Alameda County, claims in a federal lawsuit filed last February that he stopped Ujiri because he did not give the correct reference, which led to a push match that was partially captured on video . According to Strickland, Ujiri “hit him in the face and chest with both fists”, tried to walk past him and repeatedly ignored orders to stop.
The lawsuit alleges that Strickland “suffered physical, mental, emotional and economic injuries”, including lost wages, lost opportunity for financial gain and future earning capacity. It also cited medical care and expenses from the past and in the future and designated his wife as a plaintiff. The lawsuit sought $ 75,000 in damages.
Advocates for Strickland did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press to comment.
In August, Ujiri’s lawyers filed a complaint, saying video footage showed that Strickland was “unquestionably the initial attacker” in the confrontation and that the new evidence would justify Ujiri.
One of his lawyers, Tamarah Prevost, said that Ujiri on Wednesday also dropped his lawsuit against Strickland, in which he claims that Strickland used excessive force against him and pointed out that he would never be treated with such contempt if he was not black. was not.
Prevost declined to comment further and referred all queries to the team.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Raptors, said in a statement that Ujiri was “completely justified”.
“We are pleased that the legal process has come to an end – and are particularly pleased that the claims against Masai and MLSE have been completely dismissed, without any financial settlement,” the company said. “We remain deeply disturbed by the fact that Masai was placed in this position in the first place, believing that he should never have defended himself. Masai is taking time to process the ordeal, and intends to face it publicly. speak at a later date. ‘