Woman faces criminal charges for calling the police in viral racism video
In May, a video went viral that highlighted exactly how racism can be so unfairly used as a weapon against Black people. In the clip, a white woman - later named as Amy Cooper - can be seen calling the police, alleging that she is being threatened by an "African American man". In reality, no such thing had happened.
All the man (named as 57-year-old Christian Cooper, but there's no relation between the two) had actually asked her to do was to put her dog on a lead in the wooded area Central Park - as per the clear rules. The specific part of the park, known as the Ramble, requires owners to keep their dogs on leads so as not to scare the inhabiting wild animals.
But when Christian, an avid bird watcher, requested the 41-year-old woman do so, things got uncomfortable. In a video recorded by Christian himself, he is heard repeatedly and calmly asking Amy Cooper to place her dog on a lead. She then calls the police, and is clearly seen in the footage telling them: "I'm in the Ramble, there is a man, African American, he has a bicycle helmet and he is recording me and threatening me and my dog.
Sounding increasingly distressed, Amy continues on to the emergency services: "I am being threatened by a man in the Ramble, please send the cops immediately!"
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
The video quickly went viral, with viewers appalled at how apparent it was that the woman was not being threatened by the man - and that his race had been brought into the matter for no reason other than to be a weapon against him. Now, more than six weeks after the incident, Manhattan's District Attorney has confirmed Amy Cooper will face criminal charges.
"Today our office initiated a prosecution of Amy Cooper for falsely reporting an incident in the third degree," the BBC reports DA Cyrus Vance said. "We are strongly committed to holding perpetrators of this conduct accountable," Vance added, encouraging "anyone [else] who has been the target of false reporting" to contact the district attorney's office.
Since the video went viral, the woman lost her job at investment firm Franklin Templeton. The company tweeted to say: "We do not tolerate racism of any kind at Franklin Templeton." She also gave up her dog to an animal shelter, and made a public apology.
"I sincerely and humbly apologise to everyone, especially to that man, his family," she told NBC News.
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