Toronto Raptors President Under Investigation, After Allegedly Striking Deputy In The Face After Game 6 [VIDEO]
Toronto Raptors President Under Investigation, After Allegedly Striking Deputy In The Face After Game 6 [VIDEO]
After the Toronto Raptors took home their first franchise Larry O’Brien Trophy in the NBA Finals, the Raptors President, Masai Ujiri maybe in some legal trouble following an incident with officer inside Oracle Arena on Thursday night.
The alleged incident occurred on the floor when Ujiri tried to join the team on the floor. He was stopped by a deputy for not having his access and the confusion started with the President allegedly pushing back and striking the deputy in the face, according to reports. Sgt. Ray Kelly made a statement to the media on the incident,
“Mr. Ujiri was unknown to the deputy at that time. He [the deputy] asked him for a credential. He shoved the deputy out of the way and walked toward the court. The deputy pushed back. The president came forward more with a more significant push and ended up striking the deputy in the face.”
A video published by NBC Bay Area appears to show people separating Ujiri from the Sheriff’s deputy after some kind of altercation.
#BREAKING: Sheriff's deputy reportedly pushed and struck in the face by a man believed to be a Toronto Raptors executive after Game 6 of the #NBAFinals at Oracle Arena, @ACSOSheriffs says. https://t.co/fobdK9iWEq pic.twitter.com/a4X0IysY5Z
— Kristofer Noceda (@krisnoceda) June 14, 2019
To protect the players and on court talent, the NBA asked law enforcement officials to be extra vigilant on requiring the credentials for floor access during the post game celebration. Kelly said Ujiri either didn’t have the credentials or didn’t show them. Raptors released a statement following the incident, mentioning the team will cooperate with police.
“The incident is being looked at, and we are cooperating with authorities. We look forward to resolving the situation.”
According to a season ticket holder, the officer may not have told the full truth. After reports mentioned the President did not have his access for the court, video surfaced with Ujiri who was holding his credential awaiting the end of the game. As of now, Ujiri is being investigated for suspicion of misdemeanor battery on a police officer.
He was holding his credentials the whole time. The cop is lying.
pic.twitter.com/kDLXIsZWmV— Gail Osborne?? (@gkosborne) June 14, 2019
The Raptors defeated the tough defending champions, Golden State Warriors in a dramatic Game 6, winning Game 6, 114-110. Raptors superstar, Kawhi Leonard also took home his second Finals MVP.
What are your thoughts after watching the video of the Raptors President? Let us know in the comments!