An award-winning screenwriter, Alex O'Keefe, was removed from an MTA train by MTA Police because a white woman was offended by his posture, and he is Black.
According to a video posted to O'Keefe's official Instagram account on Sept. 18, "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.'"
…
O'Keefe continued, "The police told me to leave the train, I refused and asked what was I doing illegally. They said I was disturbing the peace by not leaving the train. They pulled me off the train and arrested me without even talking to the Karen who reported the one black person on the train. On the platform, the police detained me and interrogated me. Only Black folks stayed nearby and recorded the arrest. When I demanded a lawyer and reminded them they didn't even take a statement from the woman who complained they eventually released me. This country is growing more psycho by the day. What will you do about it?"
Black Enterprise
The video is here. Why the conductor couldn't just tell the old woman to go sit down and mind her own business is unclear. The cops using the "disturbing the peace" ploy when people question them and stand up for their own rights is also disgusting.
Previously:
• Chicago Police Accountability Task Force Report: racism, corruption, and a 'broken system'
• Black officers say racism is endemic in Capitol Police
