OAKLAND, California – A California law enforcement officer who indicted the president of the Toronto Raptors in a 2019 scuffle following the NBA Finals’ 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 party team.
Alameda County sheriff’s deputy Alan Strickland claimed in a federal lawsuit filed last February that he stopped Ujiri for failing to provide the correct credentials, which led to a pushing match that was partially videotaped. Strickland claimed that Ujiri hit him “with both fists in the face and chest,” tried to get around him, and repeatedly ignored orders to stop.
The lawsuit alleged that Strickland suffered “physical, mental, emotional and economic injuries,” including lost wages, missed opportunities for financial gain, and future earning capacity. It also mentioned past and future medical care and costs, and named his wife as plaintiff. The lawsuit claimed $ 75,000 in damages.
Strickland lawyers did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press asking for comment.
In August, Ujiri’s lawyers filed a lawsuit saying video footage showed that Strickland was “unmistakably the initial aggressor” in the showdown and that the new evidence would justify Ujiri.
One of his attorneys, Tamarah Prevost, said Ujiri had also dropped his lawsuit against Strickland on Wednesday, in which he claimed that Strickland had used excessive force against him and pointed out that he would never have been treated with such disrespect had not been black.
Prevost declined to comment further and referred all questions to the team.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, owner of the Raptors, said in a statement that Ujiri is “fully justified.”
“We are delighted that the legal process has come to an end – and especially pleased that the claims against Masai and MLSE were completely dismissed without any financial settlement,” the company said. “We remain deeply concerned that Masai was placed in this position at all, and feel that he should never have defended himself. Masai is taking some time to process the ordeal and plans to speak about it publicly at a later date. date. “