A Bellevue Hospital employee in New York City (NYC) has been placed on leave following a viral video that allegedly shows her attempting to confiscate a black man’s bike. The incident, which has gained immense attention on social media platforms, has surpassed 40 million views. NYC Health + Hospitals, in response, expressed their concern over the footage and confirmed that the employee is currently on leave, awaiting a thorough review.
The video commences amidst a heated confrontation, with the woman, dressed in scrubs bearing the hospital’s logo, frantically calling for assistance while pulling at the bike. The man, displaying remarkable composure, maintains his grip on the handlebars, repeatedly informing the woman, who is white, that he has already paid for the bike’s use.
As the situation intensifies, the woman resorts to pushing and shoving the man, exclaiming, “Get off me! Get off me, you’re hurting my fetus.” In response, the man asserts that he is not touching her and accuses her of pressing her stomach against his hand. Throughout the encounter, the man’s friends urge the woman to back off and acquire her own bicycle, while the man himself refrains from engaging in physical altercations.
Approximately halfway into the nearly two-minute video, the woman begins crying in a seemingly theatrical manner as another individual, clad in identical NYC Health + Hospital attire, approaches the scene. The man on the bike pleads one final time, stating, “This is my bike, it’s on my account. Please move.” Eventually, the woman’s coworker suggests she use a different bike, prompting her sudden composure as she sets up an adjacent bicycle for her own use.
The perplexing encounter swiftly gained traction online, with critics branding the unidentified hospital employee a “Karen” and condemning her for exploiting her “white woman tears.” The NYPD has acknowledged the circulating video, but as of now, no reports or emergency calls have been filed regarding the incident. The name of the involved employee has yet to be disclosed by official sources.