Alex O’Keefe, an ex-staff writer for The Bear and political speechwriter, says a routine commute turned confrontational last week when MTA Police detained him on a Metro-North train in the Bronx after a fellow passenger complained about how he was sitting.
In videos posted to Instagram, O’Keefe is seen standing against a wall with his hands behind his back as multiple officers surround him. He says the encounter began when “an old white woman” objected to him occupying more than one seat.
“I was arrested on the @MTA train to Connecticut today, pulled off, handcuffed, and detained. An old white woman got on the train and immediately pointed at me and told me to correct how I was sitting. I refused so she went to the conductor and complained. The conductor called the police and stopped the train. While waiting for the police to arrive, the old Karen’s friend said, “You’re not the minority anymore.”
An MTA Police spokesperson confirmed that officers responded to Fordham station on Thursday morning to a report of a disorderly passenger. According to the agency, onboard cameras and body-cam footage showed a 31-year-old rider with both legs stretched across an adjacent seat who allegedly refused requests from crew and police to remove his feet, exit to the platform, and take a following train.
The agency stated that the stop delayed service for approximately six minutes for “several hundred” riders. O’Keefe received a summons for disorderly conduct and, per the MTA, “was not placed under arrest.”
New York City Transit Rules of Conduct consider occupying multiple seats or placing shoes on seats a citable offense. O’Keefe disputes the characterization of events and says race informed both the complaint and the law-enforcement response. In his posts, he alleges police “arrested” him without speaking to the woman who complained and claims only Black passengers filmed the interaction. “The last thing any Black man wants is a viral arrest video,” he wrote, adding that the incident occurred four days after his wedding as he headed to work. “Sitting while Black is not illegal.”
O’Keefe, who shared photos of the complainant and another passenger, says the episode reflects “brutal irony” in American life: professional achievements offer no shield against public humiliation. He thanked supporters and called for “a peaceful commute” for all riders. The MTA, which maintains he was issued a summons and released, has not indicated whether additional reviews of the incident are underway.
O’Keefe, 31, won a 2023 Writers Guild award with other writers as The Bear was named best comedy series. He has started a GoFundMe for legal fees.
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