Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Ellen Degeneres Fan Awarded $33K After Cops Shoved Him For Dancing Near Them
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 13, 2016
Modified Jan 13, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jan 13, 2016
Modified Jan 13, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A man who sued the city after he dared to dance behind some unsuspecting cops outside Grand Central, and wound up thrown to the ground by those officers, has been awarded $33K by a Manhattan judge.
Alexandre Nzebele (a.k.a. Alexander Bok) recorded himself dancing near six police officers outside Grand Central Station on Christmas Eve 2014 as part of the Ellen Degeneres-inspired "Dance Dare." You can see what transpired in the video below.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” they're heard saying in the video. “What are you dancing in the street for? Are you a fucking asshole?” they asked. Nzebele tried to explain that he wasn't a "fucking asshole," but rather he was just participating in Degeneres's #DanceDare challenge (which urges participants to "sneak up behind perfect strangers, to dance behind them without them knowing it").
Unfortunately, the officers weren't interested in any such answers, and instead shoved and frisked him, tossing him to the street at one point.
"In my mind I was just doing the 'Ellen dance," Nzebele had told the Daily News of the incident. "I never expected to go that way."
Nzebele had initially sued for $5 million, but his lawyer said they were happy with the results nonetheless: "This case was actually a positive development—it vindicates the rights of citizens to be treated fairly with respect by police officers," attorney Robert Tolchin told the Post. "This wasn’t a case of a criminal or someone doing a bad act—this was just somebody who was having a little fun on Christmas Eve, for god’s sake."
Tagged
alexander bok
cops
dance dare
ellen degeneres
grand central
nypd
shove
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. ET
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
Critics say the moratorium harms businesses in neighborhoods without a tradition of street fairs.
By
Carol Chen
News
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
Critics say the moratorium harms businesses in neighborhoods without a tradition of street fairs.
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NJ early voting begins Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.
By
Mike Hayes
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .