NYC hospital worker Sarah Comrie 'in hiding' after Citi Bike feud: lawyer
The Manhattan hospital worker embroiled in a fight over a Citi Bike with a young black man is “in hiding” because of death threats — as her career hangs in the balances, her lawyer said Friday.
Bellevue Hospital physician’s assistant Sarah Comrie — who was branded “racist” after partial footage of the conflict went viral on social media — fears for her life and may lose her job over the ordeal, attorney Justin Marino told FOX News.
“She’s received death threats,” Marino said. “She’s in hiding. What’s at play is what social media did to this woman who’s literally a hero, and has done nothing but help people, and within one minute [it] effectively tries to ruin her life.”
Enraged viewers jumped to conclusions without knowing the whole story behind the dust-up — including that Comrie had in fact paid for the ride, Marino said. Earlier this week, he provided The Post receipts that backed up her claims.
Comrie, who is six months pregnant, was simply trying to rent a two-wheeler for her commute home after her 12-hour shift at the hospital on May 12, Marino told the station.
The video, which begins midway through the conflict, shows Comrie arguing with a group of men who claimed they paid for the bike in question at the docking station.
Comrie is in hiding and fears she’ll lose her job. Imposter_Edits/Twitter “She’s received death threats,” her attorney Justin Marino said Imposter_Edits/Twitter
Comrie had just started to roll the bicycle out of the dock after paying for it, when the men confronted her — alleging she’d snatched a bike they had already reserved, Marino said.
“Around that time these individuals were claiming that that was their bike. Someone pushed the bike while she was on it, back into the docking station so it locked again,” he said.
Comrie insisted to the men that she’d paid for that specific bike but one of them pushed it back into the docking station, so she rented another one after the argument, according to Marino.
Comrie, who is six months pregnant, was trying to rent a two-wheeler for her commute home after her 12-hour shift at the hospital on May 12, Marino said. Fox News
On Wednesday, Marino provided two receipts with serial numbers that matched the bicycles in question, saying it’s proof she had rented them.
But Comrie — who was placed on work leave by the hospital immediately after the footage emerged — could still lose her job, Marino said.
In the footage, which has been viewed on social media tens of millions of times, Comrie is seen wearing hospital-branded scrubs and screaming for help as she tugs at the bike.
“Help! Help me! Please, help me,” she shouts, as a group of men surrounds her.
Comrie’s family set up a Gofundme page to pay for her lawyer fees.
A young black man calmly keeps his grip on the bike’s handlebars and repeatedly tells her that he already paid to use that particular bike.
“Get off me! Get off me, you’re hurting my fetus,” she then shouts, as she pushes the man away.
On Tuesday, NYC Health + Hospitals released a statement calling the footage “disturbing” and announcing she’d been placed 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 said in the statement.
“The provider is currently out on leave and will remain on leave pending a review,” it said.
A spokesman for the hospital didn’t return The Post’s inquiry Friday about whether Comrie will be allowed to return to work.
Source: New York Post
