Raptors' Ujiri countersues over altercation
Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri filed a countersuit Tuesday against a San Francisco deputy over an altercation the two had after the Raptors won Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.
The original suit, filed earlier this year by officer Alan Strickland, alleged that Ujiri assaulted him in the moments after Toronto's win and the altercation resulted in "emotional, psychological, physical, and nervous pain and suffering."
But newly-released footage appears to show Strickland initiating the incident.
The deputy can be seen grabbing Ujiri by his jacket and shoving him, as Ujiri was attempting to show his team credential to step on the court following the Raptors capturing their first NBA championship in team history.
The two men then exchanged words, and Ujiri held out his credential again. Strickland shoved Ujiri a second time, and Ujiri shoved Strickland back. After the two men were separated, Ujiri eventually was able to make it onto the court to celebrate with the rest of the Raptors team.
In a statement released Tuesday to the media, the Raptors said the new video evidence proves Ujiri "was not an aggressor, but instead was the recipient of two very violent, unwarranted actions."
