NYC Woman Criticized for Calling Police on Black Man Over Dog Leash Request
Written by SOURCE on May 26, 2020
On Monday morning, a white woman in New York City’s famed Central Park decided to call the cops on a black man after he requested that she restrain her dog with a leash.
“I’m gonna tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life,” the woman, who has been identified as Amy Cooper, can be heard saying before calling 911 despite the man appearing not to show any signs of being aggressive towards her. Christian Cooper, the man who can be heard speaking to Amy Cooper in the video, also makes no threats. “There is an African-American man, I’m in Central park, he is recording me, and threatening myself and my dog… I’m being threatened by a man in the Ramble please send the cops immediately.”
Video shared to social media that shows the encounter has since went viral with many calling for the woman to be fired from her job over the interaction. Others are calling for her arrest for filing a false police report. Christian’s sister Melody Cooper posted the footage to Twitter, pointing out that the area requires that dogs be leashed. “Oh, when Karens take a walk with their dogs off leash in the famous Bramble [sic] in NY’s Central Park, where it is clearly posted on signs that dogs MUST be leashed at all times, and someone like my brother (an avid birder) politely asks her to put her dog on the leash,” Melody Cooper wrote in her tweet.
Oh, when Karens take a walk with their dogs off leash in the famous Bramble in NY’s Central Park, where it is clearly posted on signs that dogs MUST be leashed at all times, and someone like my brother (an avid birder) politely asks her to put her dog on the leash. pic.twitter.com/3YnzuATsDm
— Melody Cooper (@melodyMcooper) May 25, 2020
My brother & I are so grateful for your concern! He is fine and left to continue birding after she leashed the dog, as he politely requested. I wanted folks to know what happened to make sure it never happens again from her. All she had to do was put her poor dog on the leash.
— Melody Cooper (@melodyMcooper) May 26, 2020
Police eventually responded to Amy Cooper’s call but left without making an arrest. “Upon arrival, police determined two individuals had engaged in a verbal dispute,” a spokesperson for the NYPD said, per WPIX. “There were no arrests or summonses issued and both parties went on their way.”
Franklin Templeton, the investment firm that Amy Cooper works for released a statement on the incident and said that she has been placed on administrative leave.
“We take these matters very seriously, and we do not condone racism of any kind,” the company said. “While we are in the process of investigating the situation, the employee involved as been put on administrative leave.”
In response to an incident involving an employee on May 25th, Franklin Templeton issued the following statement. pic.twitter.com/SSKqMVgEsP
— Franklin Templeton (@FTI_Global) May 26, 2020
Amy Cooper has also returned her dog to the Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue.
You can read reactions to the video below.
In case you’re wondering if some people are willing to put the lives of others at risk by calling the cops on them, and lying about the threat. Imagine doing this KNOWING you are being recorded. https://t.co/XYEBhYHoNd
— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) May 25, 2020
I can’t get over the video of the woman in NYC with her dog. The false police report and the fake cries of dispair were so disgusting. Lies and fake reactions like that get black people killed for simply existing. I hope that Amy Cooper is severely punished for her actions.
— TONI TONE (@t0nit0ne) May 26, 2020
Amy Cooper said “African American” because racist white women know how to hide behind the appropriate terminology as they weaponize the state when their privilege is challenged.
— Sofia Quintero (@sofiaquintero) May 25, 2020
This woman (who has been identified as some sort of finance exec, Amy Cooper) needs to be charged with (at a minimum) Falsely Reporting an Incident to the Police, Harassment, and Making a Terroristic Threat.
Hey, the evidence is all right there on the video. https://t.co/HW3NEpJteF
— Rebecca Kavanagh (@DrRJKavanagh) May 26, 2020
It is quite clear that Amy Cooper falsely reported an incident.
That she intended to cause physical injury to this man, or worse, using the police as a dangerous and potentially deadly weapon.
And, let’s be clear, she also put the police in danger in the process. https://t.co/eArX7APgPF
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) May 26, 2020
Filling a false police report is a crime.
Being racist is reprehensible.
There needs to be accountability for this. Disgusting. https://t.co/XURqxDPj0V
— Mark D. Levine (@MarkLevineNYC) May 26, 2020
That dog left Central Park and went straight to the Feds to give his statement pic.twitter.com/EYBSAG3kKb
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) May 26, 2020
This post will be updated.
