Alex O'Keefe Detained on Metro‑North Train

Alex O’Keefe, a 31-year-old former writer for FX’s The Bear, was handcuffed and removed from a Metro‑North train on Sept. 18 after a passenger complained about the way he was sitting on a trip from Grand Central to New Haven. O’Keefe posted videos and photos saying an older white woman told him to “correct” his posture, that her friend said “you’re not the minority anymore,” and that he was singled out and racially profiled. The MTA and its police unit say security footage shows O’Keefe with both legs stretched across an adjacent seat, that he refused directions to remove his feet or exit the train, and that officers handcuffed him, issued a summons for disorderly conduct, and allowed him to board the next train. Media outlets report differing characterizations of the encounter — O’Keefe says he was arrested, while MTA officials say he was detained, handcuffed and issued a summons but not formally arrested. The widely shared videos and passenger recordings have prompted renewed public debate about racial profiling and policing on public transit.