In a new court filing, the sheriff’s deputy in California who had an altercation with Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri in an NBA arena last year says he was justified in shoving Ujiri because the altercation happened at a high-profile sporting event where there was a “risk” of crimes such as the 1993 stabbing of tennis star Monica Seles or the terrorist killing of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
In seeking to have a counterclaim by Ujiri against Alameda County sheriff’s deputy Alan Strickland tossed out, Strickland’s lawyers state in a new court motion that after an attempt at “gentle physical guidance” by Strickland, Ujiri twice tried to “barge past” the officer and a private security official — the first time allegedly “swatting” Strickland’s hand away.