Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri speaks in Toronto, on July 20, 2018.Mark Blinch/The Canadian Press
A California law-enforcement officer has dropped his lawsuit against Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri that stemmed from an altercation at the 2019 NBA Finals.
Lawyers for Alameda County sheriff’s deputy Alan Strickland and his wife, Kelly Strickland, filed for dismissal Wednesday in a California district court.
Strickland, who was seeking US$75,000 in general damages as well as other compensation, alleged he suffered injuries when he was pushed by Ujiri when the Raptors president tried to get on the court after his team’s championship-clinching victory over the Golden State Warriors June 13, 2019, at Oakland’s Oracle Arena.
Ujiri later filed a countersuit, alleging unauthorized use of force by Strickland. That has also been dropped.
The lawsuits stemmed from a shoving match between the two, which was caught on video by a fan, as Strickland tries to prevent Ujiri from accessing the court. The video appears to show Strickland shove Ujiri twice before the Raptors president responds.
Strickland’s civil suit was filed after prosecutors decided in October not to press criminal charges against Ujiri.