This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
On Memorial Day, a disturbing incident unfolded in Central Park's Ramble, a semi-wild area where dogs must be leashed. Christian Cooper, a 57-year-old avid bird watcher, encountered Amy Cooper, a woman walking her dog, and politely asked her to leash her pet. When she refused, he attempted to lure the dog with treats to compel her to restrain it.
However, the situation took a turn for the worse when Amy Cooper told Christian Cooper she was going to call the police and claim he was threatening her life. She made the call, falsely accusing Christian Cooper of threatening her and her dog. The 911 operator recorded her frantic call, in which she claimed, '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.'
Christian Cooper, who had been recording the interaction on his phone, captured the entire incident. He later said that he had taken treats out to lure her dog, a common practice among pet owners to encourage leashing. Amy Cooper's false report sparked intense discussions about the history of false reports made by white people against Black people.
On July 6, 2020, the Manhattan district attorney announced that Amy Cooper would face misdemeanor charges for filing a false report. The charge is punishable by up to a year in jail. Ms. Cooper was issued a desk appearance ticket and will be arraigned on October 14. If convicted, she could be given a conditional discharge or sentenced to community service or counseling rather than jail time.
Ms. Cooper's actions led to her being fired from her job as a head of insurance portfolio management at Franklin Templeton. She also issued a public apology, stating, 'I reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions when, in fact, I was the one who was acting inappropriately by not having my dog on a leash.'
