- NYC's public hospital system called a now-viral video showing one of its employees "disturbing."
- The video appears to show a white woman trying to take a rental bike from a young Black man.
New York City's public hospital system on Tuesday ripped a now-viral video appearing to show one of its white employees making a dramatic scene in Manhattan as she appears to try to take a rental bicycle from a young Black man as "disturbing" and said that the health care provider is currently "out on leave."
"We are aware of the video involving a health care provider off duty and away from the hospital campus. The incident in the video is disturbing," a spokesperson for NYC Health + Hospitals told Insider in a statement.
The spokesperson added, "The provider is currently out on leave and will remain on leave pending a review. As a health system we are committed to providing an environment for our patients and staff that is free from discrimination of any kind."
— Imposter_ (@Imposter_Edits) May 14, 2023
The one-minute and 30-second video in question shows the NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue employee in scrubs as she appears to attempt to take a Citi Bike from a young Black man who said that he already paid for the two-wheeler.
The woman's lawyer has told Insider that the woman paid for the bike.
The unidentified woman who appeared to start crying after repeatedly screaming out loud for "help" has been accused of weaponizing her tears in the incident some have condemned as "racist."
"Help me! Help me! Please, help me!" the hospital employee screams out at the beginning of the video as she grips the handlebars of a Citi Bike that is also being held by the Black man.
The video surfaced over the weekend on social media, sparking mass outrage and garnering tens of millions of views.
New York City's public hospital system told Insider that it has talked to its staff at Manhattan's NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue about the incident and has offered support resources.
Editor's Note: May 18, 2023 — This article has been amended to include "appears to show" in descriptions of the video. The woman's lawyer has said she paid for the bike and was not trying to take it.