MTA board members question police response after former The Bear writer forced out of Metro-North train

"The crime in question occurred on Sept. 18, when Alex O'Keefe, a former writer for The Bear on FX, allegedly refused to leave a Connecticut-bound train stopped at the Fordham station in the Bronx after police said he was being disruptive. Video circulating on social media shows O'Keefe yelling at police and pointing at passengers on board the train. I haven't done anything illegal, O'Keefe says in the video as police tell him to stop resisting as they cuff his wrists."

"A train conductor reported O'Keefe to MTA Police for being disorderly and having his feet on a seat. Police said an on-board video shows the writer with his feet on the train seat. View this post on Instagram A post shared by dotgov (@dotgov) When board members Blanca Lopez and Neal Zuckerman questioned Chief of MTA Police Thomas Taffe about the high-profile incident during the Sept. 29 committee meeting, he responded that O'Keefe was being disruptive. The subject was definitely interacting with other passengers, Taffe said. He was creating unreasonable noise, reaching over the seat and pointing, according to the video evidence."

"In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, officers asked O'Keefe to leave the train, but he refused. He did not get off the train, Taffe told the board. He was removed from the train in handcuffs, taken off, put on the platform, issued a summons for the disorderly conduct, released and left to go on the next train."

Alex O'Keefe allegedly refused to leave a Connecticut-bound Metro-North train at Fordham on Sept. 18 after reportedly being disruptive. Video shows O'Keefe yelling at police, pointing at passengers, and stating he had not done anything illegal while officers cuffed his wrists. A train conductor reported him for disorderly conduct and having his feet on a seat, and on-board video reportedly confirmed that. Officers asked him to disembark to de-escalate; he refused and was removed in handcuffs, issued a summons, released, and left on the next train. Board members questioned MTA Police Chief Thomas Taffe about the department's response and language used in describing the incident.

Read at www.amny.com