Former Gallery Owner Charged After Shinnecock Doc 'Rant': Cops

SAG HARBOR, NY — A former East Hampton Village art gallery owner was cuffed and dragged out of a Sag Harbor restaurant Wednesday night after what witnesses called "a rant" following a showing of "Conscience Point,"a documentary that chronicles the Shinnecock Indian Nation's struggle to preserve ancient burial grounds in the shadow of towering mega-mansions, golf clubs and wrecking balls.

The incident reportedly happened Wednesday, at a Hamptons Film Fest event that took place at Tutto Il Giorno.

According to Sag Harbor Village Police, Ruth Kalb, 80, also known as Ruth Vered, former owner of the Vered Gallery in East Hampton, was arrested on Feb. 12 at 9:34 p.m. at the eatery on Main Street in Sag Harbor. She was charged with one count of second degree harassment and one count of trespass, violations, as well as one count of resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, according to Sag Harbor Village Police Chief A.J. McGuire.

Police responded to a call from Juan Navarro, manager of the restaurant, involving an "unruly subject,"; he told police that the "highly intoxicated" woman was disrupting the other guests at the event and was subsequently asked to leave, police said.

According to the police report, while Navarro was escorting Kalb to the front door, she stopped and began to disturb other patrons, and when he asked her to "keep moving," she "pushed his face with her finger," police said.

The hostess then handed the phone to Navarro, who called police, authorities said. Police arrived and asked Kalb to leave several times, but she refused, authorities said. Two officers then escorted her outside; a video reportedly taken at the scene and posted by Page Six shows a woman believed to be Kalb screaming, "Don't you dare! No way!" and then asking people to "Take pictures, please."

Kalb, the police report said, struck one officer in the chest with her arm and kicked another with her left knee, police said. She was placed on the ground, put into handcuffs, arrested and taken to Sag Harbor Village Police headquarters where she was released; she is due back in Sag Harbor Village Justice Court on Feb. 28, police said.

Tela Troge, a member of the Shinnecock Nation, said she witnessed the event. "We had just finished watching the film and opening up for the Q&A and the moderator gave the mic to Ruth, as the first speaker," Troge said.

"She opened by saying she had come from New York City to watch this film and that she was upset that she was being made to feel bad for the Shinnecock's struggle. She said she was tried of us playing victims and said maybe we should just get jobs. . .People from the audience started to tell her to stop," Troge added. "But she wouldn't."

Kalb could not immediately be reached for comment.