Amy Cooper Central Park white woman apologizes for falsely blaming Christian Cooper NYC bird watcher as she is now placed on administrative leave as twitter demands she be fired from her VP post at Franklin Templeton.
A white woman has been caught on camera calling cops and ‘falsely’ telling them an African American man was threatening her life after asking her to put her dog on a leash in New York’s Central Park on Monday.
The video sparked calls for Amy Cooper, a Franklin Templeton VP of Investment Solutions employee to be fired from her investment firm job and for her pet to be taken away over concerns she was choking it.
Cooper, 41, has since apologized and has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident which many on social media claimed was a racist attack against bird watcher Christian Cooper, 57.
The footage begins with Amy Cooper, nicknamed ‘Central Park Karen’ by social media users, walking toward the amateur videographer with her dog in two demanding: ‘Please stop, sir I’m asking you to stop.’
Matters escalate as Christian continues to film the woman while standing in one place as the woman begins to fret and vent.
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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
‘…he is recording me and threatening my dog.’
Tells the birdwatcher to the woman: ‘Please don’t come close to me’ several times as the woman asks him to stop filming then tells him she’s calling the cops.
When Christian invites her to ‘please call the cops’, the investment worker responds, ‘I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life.’
Christian responds to the dog owner: ‘Please tell them whatever you like.’
Collins is then heard saying: ‘I’m in the Ramble and an African American man with a bicycle helmet, he is recording me and threatening my dog.’
Adding, ‘I’m am in Central Park, there is an African American man. He is recording me and threatening my dog.’
Pausing before suddenly becoming hysterical, ‘I’m sorry I can’t hear,’ she cries. ‘I’m being threatened by a man in the Ramble, please send the cops immediately…’
After a brief pause Collins responds to the operator: ‘I’m in Central Park in the Ramble, I don’t know.’
Amy Cooper plays the race card
At that point the woman clips the dog onto a leash and Christian responds: ‘Thank you’ and stops filming.
Police said they responded to the call but both Christian and Amy were no longer there.
They said a call came in for a dispute, inside of Central Park’s Ramble, around 8am but no report was filed and no arrests were made. Sergeant Mary Frances O’Donnell said no one has come forward to police since.
Christian Cooper has since explained that he ‘started filming because ‘she’ refused to put her dog on a leash and he sensed ‘she’ was going to go full on Karen. And she did.’
Told the birdwatcher via NBC News: ‘If the habitat is destroyed we won’t be able to go there to see the birds, to enjoy the plantings. The only way they can keep the dog from eating the treat is to put it on a leash. At some point, she decided I’m gonna play the race card, I guess.’
It was a similar view shared by outraged social media users on Monday.
Using the NYPD to weaponize her whiteness
‘Notice how her immediate response is to tell the cops an “African American” man is ‘threatening’ her. She weaponized her tears & knows that the fastest way for cops to respond is to put her virtual white hood on. Disgusting and a reminder of Emmett Till. Nothing has changed,’ Twitter user ISASaxonists posted.
Throughout the video the dog is seen flailing around seemingly eager to be free of Amy Cooper’s restraint as she grabs the harness by the neck without attaching a leash. It led to calls from social media for the dog to be removed from her care due to concerns she was choking it.
Viewers of the video contacted Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue which later said the dog had been returned.
‘Thank you to the concerned public for reaching out to us about a video involving a dog that was adopted from our rescue a few years ago,’ they posted on Facebook. ‘As of this evening, the owner has voluntarily surrendered the dog in question to our rescue while this matter is being addressed.
‘Our mission remains the health and safety of our rescued dogs. The dog is now in our rescue’s care and he is safe and in good health. We will not be responding to any further inquiries about the situation, either.’
The post was met with adulation, with one individual commenting, ‘Thank you for getting the dog back into your custody. I hope he can live in a safer home soon.’
You need to fire Amy Cooper. ASAP. https://t.co/M2bVbEEqWM
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) May 26, 2020
Will Amy Cooper Franklin Templeton VP be fired?
Come late Monday, Amy Cooper apologized and said she understands why people may think less of her after viewing the clip. More than 11 million people had viewed the footage.
‘I sincerely and humbly apologize to everyone, especially to that man, his family,’ she told NBC New York. ‘It was unacceptable and I humbly and fully apologize to everyone who’s seen that video, everyone that’s been offended … everyone who thinks of me in a lower light and I understand why they do.
‘When I think about the police, I’m such a blessed person. I’ve come to realize especially today that I think of [the police] as a protection agency, and unfortunately, this has caused me to realize that there are so many people in this country that don’t have that luxury.’
The woman’s employer has yet to make a decision on the woman’s future at the firm, with social media threatening to take their business elsewhere if the woman continues to work at the firm, accusing the firm of abetting racism. As of Tuesday morning, calls to have fire Amy Cooper was trending on social media.
