A judge in New York City has thrown out a civil summons against Alex O’Keefe, a former writer for FX’s acclaimed show “The Bear”, who found himself in handcuffs last month due to a disagreement over seating on a commuter train.
O’Keefe, who identifies as Black, has accused transit law enforcement of racially profiling him after a fellow passenger complained about his seating position on a Metro-North train.
In a widely circulated video recorded by O’Keefe, he is heard questioning the officers: “Is the one Black man on this train being arrested because a white woman doesn’t like how I’m positioned?”
The footage suggests that the train wasn’t congested.
According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, officers were called after a conductor raised concerns about O’Keefe occupying an adjacent seat with his legs, which allegedly broke the train’s seating policy.
When approached by the officers, he declined to leave the train as requested, leading to him being handcuffed, interrogated on the platform, and subsequently issued a summons for disorderly conduct.
An administrative judge dismissed that summons on Tuesday, which is a typical outcome for such cases.
In a video taken outside the courthouse, O’Keefe accused the MTA of attempting to “make an example of me.”
He stated, “I was harassed and detained for simply sitting while being Black,” and emphasized his commitment to defending the civil rights of all New Yorkers, even though the case was dismissed.
Start your day with all the essential news
Morning Report offers the latest insights, videos, and updates.
Thank you for subscribing!
The transit authority’s spokesperson did not provide a comment regarding the dismissal.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber previously characterized the incident as merely a case of a passenger failing to comply with agency rules.
Lieber remarked, “Is police intervention necessary because someone won’t remove their feet from a seat? Just take your feet off the seat. It’s that simple. We’ll review the video and handle any ensuing controversies from these basic encounters in today’s climate.”
O’Keefe, 31, recently won a 2023 Writers Guild Award alongside his colleagues, as “The Bear” was recognized as the best comedy series.
