Amy Cooper Is Fired After Calling Police on Black Birder in Central Park (original) (raw)
New York|White Woman Is Fired After Calling Police on Black Man in Central Park
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/nyregion/amy-cooper-dog-central-park.html
Advertisement
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
Video of the incident touched off intense discussions about the history of black people being falsely reported to the police.
Video
transcript
transcript
Video Shows White Woman Calling Police on Black Man in Central Park
The footage shows Amy Cooper calling the police on Christian Cooper in Central Park after he asked her to keep her dog on a leash. The video was posted to Twitter by Mr. Cooper’s sister.
Amy Cooper: “Would you please stop? Sir, I’m asking you to stop.” Christian Cooper: “Please don’t come close to me.” “Sir, I’m asking you to stop recording.” “Please don’t come close to me.” “Please turn your phone off.” “Please don’t come close to me.” “If you’re taking pictures, I’m calling the cops.” “Please, please call the cops. Please call the cops.” “I’m going to tell them there’s an African-American man threatening my life.” “Please tell them whatever you like.” “Excuse me. I’m sorry. I’m in the Ramble, and there’s a man, African-American, [inaudible]. He is recording me, and threatening me and my dog. There is an African-American man — I am in Central Park. He is recording me, and threatening myself and my dog. I’m sorry. I can’t hear you either. I’m being threatened by a man in the Ramble. Please send the cops immediately. I’m in Central Park in the Ramble — I don’t know.” Christian Cooper: “Thank you.”
The footage shows Amy Cooper calling the police on Christian Cooper in Central Park after he asked her to keep her dog on a leash. The video was posted to Twitter by Mr. Cooper’s sister.
Published May 26, 2020Updated Feb. 16, 2021
The incident appears to have begun as one of those banal and brusque dust-ups between two New Yorkers. A black man, an avid birder, asked a white woman to leash her dog in Central Park, as the rules required. She refused.
Then the encounter, which was recorded on video, took an ugly turn.
As the man, Christian Cooper, filmed on his phone, the woman, clutching her thrashing dog, called the police, her voice rising in hysteria.
“I’m going to tell them there’s an African-American man threatening my life,” she said to him while dialing, then repeated to the operator, twice, “African-American.”
The video, posted to Twitter on Memorial Day by Mr. Cooper’s sister, has been viewed more than 30 million times, touching off intense discussions about the history of false accusations made to the police against black people, sometimes putting their lives in danger.
Within 24 hours, the woman, identified as Amy Cooper (no relation to Mr. Cooper), had given up her dog, publicly apologized and been fired from her job. Mr. Cooper expressed regret for the extent of the retribution.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Advertisement