FORMER FX THE BEAR WRITER REMOVED FROM NYC TRAIN IN HANDCUFFS. (PHOTO ).

 Former FX The Bear writer removed from NYC train in handcuffs

A former writer for FX’s “The Bear” was removed from a New York City commuter train in handcuffs Thursday after a dispute over how he was sitting, an incident he recorded and shared widely on social media.

Alex O’Keefe, who is Black, said he was traveling to Connecticut on a Metro-North train when a white passenger complained to a conductor about the way he had his legs positioned. Security footage reviewed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) showed O’Keefe sitting with both legs stretched across an adjacent seat, which violates the rail line’s rules. When he refused to move, a conductor called the police.

Officers held the train briefly at a Bronx station around 10:30 a.m. and handcuffed O’Keefe after he initially refused to exit. In a video captured by O’Keefe, he can be heard asking officers, “What are you trying to arrest me for?” and protesting that he had done nothing illegal. Another video taken by a bystander shows him facing a wall on the platform while officers question him.

The MTA said O’Keefe was issued a summons for disorderly conduct and allowed to board another train to continue his trip. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber, when asked about the incident, called it “a simple case of a passenger breaking the rules” and said, “Just take your feet off the seat. It’s that simple. And respect other passengers.”

O’Keefe, 31, won a 2023 Writers Guild Award as part of the team that made “The Bear” best comedy series. He told the Associated Press that he was cautious about being drawn into a culture war and wanted to review interview requests with his legal team.