A video of a man being handcuffed on a Washington, DC Metro train went viral over the weekend for one simple reason: standing right next to him was his pet goat. The clip, filmed in the Navy Yard neighborhood, shows Metro Transit police detaining Kyrie Givens while his goat, Lil Bob, waited nearby. Naturally, the internet did what the internet does and assumed the goat was somehow the culprit.
It turns out the real story has nothing to do with livestock and everything to do with a case of mistaken alert. Metro Transit police say Givens was stopped after another law enforcement agency issued a BOLO, or “be on the lookout,” tied to a case out of Prince George’s County. According to Givens and his attorneys, the case had already been dropped the week before, after he was questioned and released.
Givens told WUSA9 he had no idea what a BOLO even was until officers explained it to him on the spot. He also said the moment was humiliating, especially with his son watching it unfold.
As for Lil Bob, the goat was born about a year and a half ago in Southeast DC, and Givens has been bringing him around the city ever since as part of an effort to introduce local kids to farming and animals. Givens says he holds a degree in urban sustainability and sees the goat outings as a way to bring some positivity to a city that has had a rough stretch lately.
The BOLO Explained
A BOLO alert is essentially a heads-up sent between law enforcement agencies asking officers to watch for a specific person, vehicle, or suspect. In this case, Metro Transit police were simply responding to someone else’s flag, not making their own accusation.
Givens told WUSA9 that the underlying case had already been resolved, which makes the whole detainment feel like a paperwork issue that showed up about a week too late.
Where the Goat Actually Comes In
Metro did confirm one thing: pets are only allowed on buses and trains if they’re in a secured carrier. Lil Bob, being a full-grown goat and not exactly pocket sized, does not fit that requirement.
So while the goat was not the reason for the handcuffs, he technically was breaking transit policy just by being there, unsecured and undoubtedly the most interesting passenger on the Green Line that day.
The Goat Caught In the Middle
There is a lot going on in this story, and somehow the goat is the least confusing part of it. A mixed up BOLO alert leading to a public detainment is a legitimate headache for anyone, especially with a kid watching. But you also cannot blame the internet for running wild with a video that features a man in handcuffs and a very calm goat standing a few feet away like he is waiting for his own train transfer.
Givens seems to be handling it with more grace than most people would, and honestly, more cities could use a guy walking around with a goat trying to bring people a little joy.
One comment said: “This is a fundamentally good story. I love that the report clarified the arrest and allowed him to share his very positive message. A man walking in DC with a goat – I love it!”