The pregnant New York City hospital worker accused of taking a Citibike from a Black man is "in hiding" after a video showing her arguing with a group of men went viral. Sarah Jane Comrie, 36, has reportedly received "death threats" and has gone in hiding, as her career hangs in the balances, her lawyer said Friday.
Comrie, a physician's assistant at Bellevue Hospital who was labeled "racist" after a video of the altercation went viral on social media, says she fears for her life and might lose her job as a result of the ordeal, according to attorney Justin Marino, who spoke to FOX News.
Fearing for Her Life
This comes a day after Mario shared receipts that show Comrie booked the bike and paid for it. "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."
Marino claimed that outraged viewers jumped to conclusions unaware of the whole context of the altercation, including the fact that Comrie had in fact paid for the ride. Earlier this week, Marino shared receipts to support her accusations.
"She's been called a racist, she's been called a thief... We plan to purse that."
On May 12, Marino informed the station that Comrie, who is six months pregnant, was merely trying to hire a two-wheeler for her drive home following her 12-hour shift at the hospital.
Comrie is seen fighting with a group of men in the footage, which starts in the middle of the altercation, who assert that they paid for the bike in question at the docking station.
After paying for the bicycle, Comrie was just beginning to roll it out of the dock when the men stopped her, accusing her of stealing a bike they had already booked, 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.
According to Marino, Comrie argued to the men that she had paid for that particular bike, but one of them pushed it back into the docking station. As a result, Comrie leased another bike after the incident.
Receipts Tell Different Story
Marino's comments come a day after he provided receipts that he claims prove that Comrie had paid for the two-wheeler. He also said in a statement that Comrie got on the available bike "which no individuals were on or touching."
According to a DailyMail.com report, the number on the receipt matches the number on the handlebars of the bike.
The lawyer claimed that the group of five young men approached Comrie and claimed ownership of the bike and things soon turned chaotic.
According to the records, the ride was ultimately canceled and she wasn't charged before booking another bike minutes after the incident.
"The receipts show unequivocally that she got the bike first," Marino told DailyMail.com.
"But there is no animosity towards the men in the video. We frankly wish them the best in the future.
"The focus is clearing her name and going after the publications and high profile names that defamed her."
Comrie, this week, was given maternity leave by NYC Health + Hospitals. Social media users branded the woman a "Karen" after the May 12 incident that was caught on camera gained traction.
Marino said that a GoFundMe page has been started for Comrie, and appealed to the public people to contribute to her legal expenses "to save her livelihood and her reputation."
The campaign, which was started by Comrie's uncle, claims that the event "unfairly painted [Comrie] as a racist 'Karen.'"
"The facts have since proven this is a lie, but the damage has been done," the fundraiser states. "In fact, Sarah is a dedicated healthcare worker who is six months pregnant. She holds racial justice and equity dear, and has dedicated her life to serving NYC's most challenged individuals."
"She does not wish to become a cause celebre, but the legal bills to save her livelihood and her reputation obviously are mounting," the fundraiser also stated.
The fundraiser had raised about $8,543 in cash by 10 p.m. on Thursday. The target amount for the fundraiser is $35,000.
NYC Health + Hospitals made a statement on the incident two times this week, calling the video "disturbing" when the hospital system declared the she was on leave.
According to the system, she would continue to be on leave up until the conclusion of the incident review.
