'NYC is a mismanaged carnival of stupidity': Alec Baldwin hits out after being arrested for cycling wrong way down Fifth Avenue

• Received two summons - one traffic violation and a second for disorderly conduct
• Arrested at 10.15am, released at 12.20pm and cycled home where he immediately began tweeting about arrest
• Tweeted: 'New York City is a mismanaged carnival of stupidity that is desperate for revenue and anxious to criminalize behavior once thought benign'
• Reportedly became enraged because police officers were too young to recognise him when he failed to produce ID

By Colette Fahy and James Nye In Manhattan

Alec Baldwin was arrested in New York on Tuesday.

The volatile actor was handcuffed by police officers and taken away in a squad car, with one witness telling In Touch he 'went ballistic on the cops, screaming at them' during the incident which led to his arrest.

The New York Police Department confirmed to MailOnline that Baldwin was stopped at 10.15am Tuesday riding his bike the wrong way on Fifth Avenue, at the corner of 16th Street.

He was asked to provide ID which he didn’t have on him. Officers said that he then started to argue with them and was taken into custody.

Taken away in handcuffs: Alec Baldwin was arrested by officers in New York on Tuesday and taken away in a cop car

Baldwin was taken to 13th Precinct where he was identified and given two summons – one traffic violation for riding the wrong way and a second for disorderly conduct.

A source told the New York Daily News he became enraged because the young police officers failed to recognise him.

According to the insider, Alec said: 'How old are these officers? They don't even know who I am.'

A police source added to the publication: 'He became belligerent, yelling and screaming at the officers, "I don't have ID. Just give me the f***ing summonses."'

He has been released and arrived home at his New York apartment at 12.20pm.

The 30 Rock star looked angry and did not reply to request for comment from media gathered outside.

Volatile: The volatile actor reportedly 'went ballistic' on cops during the incident which led to his arrest

But once inside he started tweeting, writing: 'Officer Moreno, badge number xxxxx, arrested me and handcuffed me for going the wrong way on Fifth Ave.'

MailOnline has contacted the NYPD about this tweet but they have so far refused to comment.

His wife Hilaria arrived home with their nine-month-old daughter Carmen just before him and shouted at the assembled press.

Alec Baldwin no comment after wrong-way riding arrest

Home sweet home: Alec did not look happy as he made his way home on his bike following an eventful morning which including arguing with police and an arrest

Video obtained by MailOnline appears to show her greeting him in the lobby of their building.

Alec added: 'Meanwhile, photographers outside my home ONCE AGAIN terrified my daughter and nearly hit her with a camera. The police did nothing.'

The star, who was once tipped to run for Mayor of New York, wrote: 'New York City is a mismanaged carnival of stupidity that is desperate for revenue and anxious to criminalize behavior once thought benign.'

Drama: Alec was greeted by his wife Hilaria as he arrived back at his New York apartment looking sullen

Hitting out: Alec took to Twitter as soon as he got back to his New York apartment to tell his side of the story

Although Alec argued with officers, by the time he was cuffed he was 'calm and quiet', an onlooker told In Touch.
Eddie Cacho, a hairdresser at Dramatics NYC Salon, saw the commotion going on outside by the parking meter. He told MailOnline today that he saw an older gentleman handcuffed and still sitting on his bike.

Mr Cacho said the man, later identified as Baldwin, seemed sombre, was not animated and was not resisting arrest. He was in handcuffs on his bike for around ten minutes.

Detained: Baldwin was detained at the New York City Police Department's 13th Precinct cycling the wrong way down Fifth Avenue and failing to produce his ID

A man who identified himself only as Kim, who works at the flower stall attached to Regale Deli, said he saw the man looking angry and animated before his arrest. He said the whole thing took 20 minutes from start to finish. By the end, two additional NYPD cars had turned up as back-up.
Drew Exis, who works for the city managing traffic flow, took notice when he saw the extra police cars arrive. He saw a man being cuffed and have his head being put down as he was put in the back of the car and driven down Fifth Avenue.

Sullen: Baldwin refused to comment as he arrived home but it didn't take him long to start tweeting about his arrest

Media scrum: Baldwin was greeted by a group of reporters and a police car as he arrived back at him home following his release

Balwdin was alone at the time of the arrest and is reported to have been cycling for exercise.

In the pictures, obtained by In Touch, he can be seen wearing shorts, a jacket and a visor as he is led into the car by a female police officer while officer stands nearby.
He appears calm and collected in the pictures as he is being led away while his bike can be seen propped up against the car.

In February Baldwin threatened to leave New York because he wanted privacy.

He told New York magazine he would 'probably' having to pack his bags and bid farewell to his beloved hometown sooner rather than later.

He talked about beginning to 'crave' Los Angeles after over 30 years in the Big Apple because he thinks he would be able to give wife Hilaria and their nine-month-old daughter Carmen a more peaceful and private life.

However, despite his demands for privacy, he often poses for his wife's public Instagram page, where she shares intimate family moments.

And while Alec proclaims to hate tabloids, he sees no irony in his wife working for tabloid TV show Extra.
Meanwhile, Alec has faced controversy in the past few years for repeatedly being accused of using homophobic slurs.

Arrested and released: Alec was taken to 13th Precinct where he was identified and given two summons, one traffic violation for riding the wrong way and a second for disorderly conduct

In November his newly-launched cable show was pulled off the air  after the actor was caught calling a photographer a 'c***sucking f**'.

It came after a rough week for Baldwin, as he appeared in court for the trial of his stalker and then got in at least four arguments with journalists and photographers in front of his Manhattan apartment in the following days. As the suspension was announced, Baldwin even threatened to quit showbiz for good.

Privacy: Alec has previously insisted he wants to leave New York to get some privacy for his wife Hilaria and daughter Carmen (pictured together in the Hamptons on Mother's Day)

'If quitting the television business, the movie business, the theater, any component of entertainment, is necessary in order to bring safety and peace to my family, then that is an easy choice,' he wrote in a blog post on the Huffington Post.

In 1997, he allegedly called a horse carriage driver a 'f*****' for supporting carriage rides outside Central Park. In 2011, he was accused of calling a Starbucks barista an 'uptight queen.'

In 2012, he called the New York Daily News editor an 'English queen.'

Finally, in June 2013, he tweeted out a homophobic rant directed at a MailOnline reporter, calling him a 'toxic queen' and said he would 'stick his foot in the reporter's a**,' except that the reporter would 'dig it too much.'

For that remark, GLAAD chastised Baldwin - but let him off when he wrote the group a formal apology and promised to mend his ways.

PREVIOUS INCIDENTS WHEN ALEC BALDWIN LOST HIS TEMPER

1995: Reportedly assaulted a photographer for videotaping his then wife, Kim Basinger, and their
3-day-old daughter Ireland.

Attack: Baldwin was caught on camera attacking a paparazzo in New York in 2013

1997: Allegedly called a horse carriage driver a 'f*****' for supporting carriage rides outside Central Park. In 2011, he was accused of calling a Starbucks barista an 'uptight queen.'
2007: Baldwin left an angry voicemail message for his daughter Ireland calling her a 'rude, thoughtless little pig' after she didn't answer a scheduled call from him.

2011: Became belligerent and was removed from plane after being asked by American Airlines flight attendant to put his phone away for takeoff while he was playing Words With Friends. 
2012: Pictured screaming at NY Daily News photographer Marcus Santos a moment after reportedly attacking him

2013: In February he allegedly told a reporter to 'choke to death' after she questioned him about a lawsuit involving his wife Hilaria's work as a yoga instructor. During the altercation he is further said to have called photographer G.N. Miller, who is black, a racial epithet, a 'coon', 'a drug dealer', a 'crackhead' and made disparaging remarks about his mother, according to Miller's police statement.

Furious: Alec screamed at NY Daily News photographer Marcus Santos a moment after reportedly attacking him in June 2012

2013: In August he was spotted first warning off the male photographer then manhandling him over the hood of a parked car in New York.

2013: In November his newly-launched MSNBC show was pulled off the air  after the actor was caught calling a photographer a 'c***sucking f**'
2012: Alec called the New York Daily News editor an 'English queen.'
2013: Tweeted out a homophobic rant directed at a MailOnline reporter, calling him a 'toxic queen' and said he would 'stick his foot in the reporter's a**,' except that the reporter would 'dig it too much.'
2014: Went on Twitter rant claiming TSA security randomly selected his baby daughter for a pat-down at a Bahamas airport.

Angry: Tuesday isn't the first time Baldwin has gotten belligerent with police. In November he was animated as they helped him to control the scene as he tried to pack up his car in New York