Masai Ujiri ‘Never Struck’ Officer at Oracle Arena According to Witness

Toronto’s postgame celebration came with controversy when Raptors‘ president Masai Ujiri went under investigation for an altercation he had with an officer at Oracle Arena. A witness says that Ujiri was not the aggressor in the incident and stories claiming otherwise are false. 

Warriors’ season ticket holder, Greg Wiener, told the Associated Press that Masai Ujiri did not strike the officer nor did the authorities ask for his identification.

“Greg Wiener, a season ticket holder who was standing next to the officer, told the Associated Press the police are not telling the truth and are trying to cover up for what the officer did,” the AP’s Rob Gillies reported. “He said Masai Ujiri never struck the officer in the face or asked for a credential.”

Wiener’s account comes after the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office announced on Friday that they would be investigating Ujiri for suspicion of misdemeanor battery on a police officer. Ujiri was allegedly stopped by police when trying to join the Raptors to celebrate on the court. The officer claims to have asked Ujiri to provide identification, and when he refused to do so, an altercation ensued that resulted in the team executive hitting the policemen.

“Mr. Ujiri was unknown to the deputy at that time. He [the deputy] asked him for a credential,” a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, Sgt. Ray Kelly, said on Friday. “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.”

Although Wiener doesn’t go into detail on what did happen, the NBA is also conducting its own separate investigation into Thursday night’s incident.