Writer Alex O\u2019Keefe shared a video last week of MTA police in New York placing him in handcuffs for alleged disorderly conduct, while warning his Instagram followers that \u201cthis country is growing more psycho by the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Keefe, a speechwriter who was also a staff writer for the hit series \u201cThe Bear,\u201d alleged in an Instagram post<\/a> shared Thursday that police detained him on a New York train after an \u201cold white woman\u201d complained about how he was sitting. O\u2019Keefe alleged in his Instagram caption and in video of his interaction with law enforcement that the woman took issue with the \u201cone black person on the train.\u201d<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the MTA Police Department confirmed in a statement that officers responded Thursday morning to a \u201creport of a disorderly passenger\u201d at the Fordham Metro-North station in the Bronx. A conductor reported that a 31-year-old passenger occupied two seats and \u201crefused to remove his feet from one of the seats.\u201d According to New York City Transit Rules of Conduct and Fines<\/a>, disorderly conduct can include occupying more than one seat and placing one\u2019s foot on a seat on a \u201cstation, platform or conveyance.\u201d<\/p>\n Police, citing body camera footage and on-board security footage, say O\u2019Keefe \u201cwas observed with both legs stretched across an adjacent seat\u201d and allege he refused police directions to exit the train onto the platform and to board a following train. The statement adds that O\u2019Keefe delayed service \u201cfor several hundred other riders for six minutes\u201d and was handcuffed and removed from the train. <\/p>\n Police issued O\u2019Keefe a summons for disorderly conduct and he \u201cwas not placed under arrest at any time,\u201d the statement said. <\/p>\n O\u2019Keefe shared his side of the incident on Instagram. The woman who complained about his manner of sitting brought her grievances to the conductor, who phoned police and stopped the train, he wrote. He also alleges that a friend of the woman told him, \u201c\u2018You\u2019re not the minority anymore.\u2019\u201d O\u2019Keefe added that police \u201carrested\u201d him without \u201ceven talking to the Karen who reported the one black person on the train\u201d and that only other Black passengers recorded the dispute.<\/p>\n On Instagram, O\u2019Keefe shared photos of the woman who allegedly complained and another passenger. He also posted video of four officers surrounding him as he faces a wall with his hands behind his back. \u201cThey just saw the Black guy and arrested [me],\u201d he says in the video<\/a>.<\/p>\n O\u2019Keefe\u2019s video documenting his detainment circulated<\/a> on social media over the weekend. In a statement shared Tuesday, O\u2019Keefe denied the allegations against him and said the \u201clast thing any Black man wants is a viral arrest video.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI worked my entire life in politics and culture to be taken seriously, and to make our country a better place. But my accomplishments and awards cannot protect me from the violence we\u2019ve all normalized,\u201d he said. \u201cAmerican life is full of brutal irony.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to \u201cThe Bear,\u201d O\u2019Keefe has written for the climate activist group the Sunrise Movement and worked with Democratic politicians including Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren and Charles Booker, according to his website. <\/a>He was among a group of \u201cThe Bear\u201d scribes to earn a WGA Award in 2023 when the the show was named best comedy series. <\/p>\n In his statement, O\u2019Keefe added that the incident occurred four days after his wedding as he was on his way to work. He also said he felt a white man would not be subject to the same treatment, adding \u201cSitting while Black is not illegal.\u201d He further alleged that race played a role in the incident and police response. <\/p>\n \u201cI am grateful for the overwhelming love and solidarity I have received. Every worker deserves a peaceful commute,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope by sharing my story, New York becomes a safer city for all.\u201d<\/p>\n