In a recent incident that gained significant attention on social media, a Manhattan hospital worker was accused of attempting to take a Citi Bike from a young black man. However, the woman’s lawyer has provided receipts indicating that she was the one who paid for the bike at the center of the viral incident.
The woman, a physician assistant at Bellevue Hospital who is six months pregnant, was placed on leave by NYC Health + Hospitals after the incident. Video of the confrontation has been viewed tens of millions of times since it was posted online.
According to the woman’s lawyer, Justin Marino, she had just finished a 12-hour shift and paid for an available bike through the Citi Bike app on her phone. As she was backing the bike out of the docking station, a group of five people approached her, claiming that the bike was theirs. Marino provided two Citi Bike receipts from the day of the incident, showing two bikes being rented minutes apart from the same docking station.
The confrontation escalated when one or more individuals from the group physically pushed the bike, with the woman on it, back into the docking station, causing it to re-lock. One of the individuals then covered the bike’s QR code, preventing her from paying for it again so she could leave.
The video, which begins mid-confrontation, shows the woman dressed in hospital-branded scrubs screaming for help as she tugs at the bike. The young man maintained his grip on the bike’s handlebars and repeatedly told the woman that he had already paid to use that particular bike and it wasn’t hers.
Marino stated that his client is a dedicated hospital worker who has treated thousands of New York City residents of all backgrounds and ethnicities. He emphasized that her entire life has been focused on helping others, irrespective of their background.
NYC Health + Hospitals called the video “disturbing” when announcing she was placed on leave. The hospital system said she would remain on leave pending a review of the incident.
The young man in the video has not yet been identified. The NYPD stated that they did not receive any 911 calls over this incident.
The woman now fears for her safety as she has received threats and people have been outside her house. She even received a picture of her front door with the message, “I’m here for you,” Marino said.
“She’s received death threats,” he stated. “She’s in hiding. The impact of social media on this woman, who is genuinely a hero and has consistently helped people, is significant. In just a minute, it has attempted to ruin her life.”
Marino is gearing up to file lawsuits, asserting that there is “no question” that some media outlets have defamed his client.
“She’s been labeled a racist, she’s been branded a thief … We intend to address this,” he declared.
Marino emphasized that they harbor no animosity toward the men in the video. Their grievances are directed at the media outlets that insinuated she was racist.
