A sheriff’s deputy was allegedly pushed and struck in the face by a Toronto Raptors executive who was trying to make his way to the court after Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena Thursday, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said.
The incident occurred moments after the Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors to give Canada its first-ever NBA championship. Sheriff’s officials said the deputy denied the executive access to the court because he didn’t have proper credentials.
Video after the alleged incident show a man pleading and stopping deputies from getting to the executive, who eventually gets onto the court for the championship ceremony after Raptors player Kyle Lowry pulls him from the crowd.
Witnesses on the scene tell NBC Bay Area the Raptors executive involved in the altercation is Masai Ujiri, the team’s president of basketball operations and former general manager.
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Deputies are calling the incident a misdemeanor battery on an officer and they, along with the Oakland Police Department, are investigating the matter.
The executive is not in custody, but officers plan to hand the case to the district attorney, officials said.
“We can confirm our deputy was pushed and struck by a Raptors executive after he asked him for his credentials to go on the court at the end of the game,” Sgt. Ray Kelly with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “We are working with the Oakland Police Department to file a report and contact witnesses and review video.”
NBC Bay Area has reached out to the NBA and the Raptors for comment.
Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area
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Source: NBC Bay Area
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