Hospital worker's attorney responds after viral confrontation over Citi Bike in Kips Bay
KIPS BAY, Manhattan (WABC) -- There's a new explanation from the attorney of a New York City hospital worker who has come under fire following a nasty confrontation with several young men over a Citi Bike.
The incident unfolded over the weekend in the Kips Bay section of Manhattan. Video of the encounter went viral, quickly amassing millions of views.
Attorney Justin Marino told Eyewitness News reporter Kemberly Richardson that his client, the woman seen on camera in scrubs, is getting threats after the video surfaced.
"Her reaction and responses are understandable given the hysteria that was going on in her mind," Marino said.
The clash with a group of young men unfolded at a Citi Bike docking station in Kips Bay on Friday. The physician's assistant had just wrapped up a shift at Bellevue Hospital and was heading home.
Marino says right before the recording started, what you don't see was the hospital worker picking a bike, paying for it and undocking it.
"One of those individuals then physically pushed the bike back into the docking station to lock it," Marino said.
He says a receipt proves his client undocked the bike for just one minute at no charge.
Still, one of the men claims it was his as the pair continued tussling over the bike.
At one point, the hospital worker is seen on camera saying, "You're hurting my fetus, my unborn child."
Marino says his client is 6 months pregnant.
Many say the incident is reminiscent of the Central Park encounter between a bird watcher and woman walking her dog back in 2020. Marino strongly disagreed.
"There is no racial component to it, if these individuals had the same skin color, you and I aren't speaking," he said.
Bellevue says the employee is currently out on leave while it reviews the matter. Marino wouldn't elaborate.
A second receipt shows that she eventually did pick a second bike and leave, but the question is: why not sooner?
"Yes, in hindsight would she have preferred to give up to the demand of those individuals and quickly go ... certainly, but while she was there that was her bike, she had reserved it and she had every right to take it," Marino said.
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