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White Woman Calls 911 On Black Man Birdwatching In Central Park Who Said Her Dog Should Be Leashed
By
Jen Chung
Published May 26, 2020
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Christian Cooper
By
Jen Chung
Published May 26, 2020
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A racist confrontation between a white dog owner and a black bird watcher in Central Park on Sunday went viral, as video showed the dog owner calling the police on the man for a petty argument, while emphasizing his race in a menacing way: "There's an African-American threatening my life."
By 11 p.m. on Sunday, the woman, later identified as Amy Cooper, had surrendered her dog to a rescue organization, and her employer had placed her on administrative leave. [Update: Cooper's employer announced they terminated her on Monday afternoon. See update below for more details.]
The birder, Christian Cooper (no relation), had objected to the woman's dog being off-leash in the Ramble, an area where dogs are required to be leashed. According to Cooper's account on Facebook, he had pointed out the sign that says dogs must be leashed in the Ramble, to which the dog owner said the dog needed off-leash exercise because dog runs are closed. Cooper then said he suggested they go outside of the Ramble, but she objected to that.
Cooper — who is on the board of directors at NYC Audubon — wrote that he called over the dog and "pull[ed] out the dog treats I carry for just for such intransigence" (to encourage dog owners to leash their dogs so they can't eat the treats) but "I didn't even get a chance to toss any treats to the pooch before [the dog owner] scrambled to grab the dog." So he started filming:
In the video, it shows that he is a good distance from the dog owner and that when she walked closer to him, he asked her, "Please don't come close to me," while continuing to request that she leash her dog. The dog owner is seen dragging her dog by the collar and lifting it in the air repeatedly. As she spoke to a 911 operator, her voice became more and more distressed, though Cooper remained stationary. "I'm in the Ramble and there was a man—African American, he has a bicycle helmet... there's an African-American man, I'm in Central Park, and he's recording me and threatening myself and my dog!"
Then her voice grew even more agitated, "I'm being threatened by a man in Central Park! Please send the cops immediately!" During this time, the woman's dog is struggling as he is still being dragged by the collar.
When she finally leashed the dog, Cooper said, "Thank you," and stopped filming.
In an interview with NBC New York, he explained why he wanted the dog leashed: "If the habitat is destroyed we won’t be able to go there to see the birds, to enjoy the plantings." (Off-leash dogs are a common complaint from Central Park birders and nature lovers.)
As for why he filmed the incident on Sunday morning, he said, "I'm not going to participate in my own dehumanization. I'm not going to feed into this. We live in an age of Ahmaud Arbery, where black men are gunned down because of assumptions people make about black men, black people, and I’m just not going to participate in that."
Black birdwatchers are all too aware of those assumptions. J. Drew Lanham, who has written about “birding while black,” offered “9 Rules For The Black Birdwatcher,” which include: “Don’t bird in a hoodie,” “Carry your binoculars — and three forms of identification — at all times,” and “Nocturnal birding is a no-no.”
Cooper's sister, Melody Cooper, also shared the video on Twitter, where users also made allusions to Emmett Till and the five teenagers who were falsely accused of raping a woman in Central Park.
A public defender and candidate for Manhattan District Attorney, Eliza Orlins, also shared on Twitter, “I have tried cases where the Manhattan DA uses a ’hysterical 911 call’ as categorical evidence of guilt. Usually there's no video like this to refute it. What happens: White lady calls the cops on Black man. Cops believe her. He gets arrested and then arraigned. Outrageous bail gets set. His family cannot afford to buy his freedom. He gets sent to Rikers Island, where he sits for any number of days, months, or years...”
Amy Cooper spoke to NBC New York as well: "I sincerely and humbly apologize to everyone, especially to that man, his family," she said. "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."
It is unclear if she made an apology directly to Christian Cooper.
Amy Cooper's employer, asset management firm Franklin Templeton, announced that she would be put on administrative leave:
The rescue organization where the Amy Cooper adopted her dog, Abandoned Angels, also revealed that she surrendered the cocker spaniel mix:
Mayor Bill de Blasio commented on the incident "The video out of Central Park is racism, plain and simple. She called the police BECAUSE he was a Black man. Even though she was the one breaking the rules. She decided he was the criminal and we know why. This kind of hatred has no place in our city."
City Council Member Mark Levine tweeted, "Filing a false police report is a crime. Being racist is reprehensible. There needs to be accountability for this. Disgusting." However, the police told NBC New York that no complaint was made and officers determined it was a "verbal dispute." On a Monday morning appearance on PIX 11, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker further said no action would be taken:
Melody Cooper wrote on Twitter late on Sunday night, "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."
Update 2:49 p.m.: Franklin Templeton, Amy Cooper's employer, announced that she had been fired, "Following our internal review of the incident in Central Park yesterday, we have made the decision to terminate the employee involved, effective immediately. We do not tolerate racism of any kind at Franklin Templeton."
The National Audubon Society issued a statement. Audubon SVP for State Programs Rebeccah Sanders (who the organization said is white) said:
"Black Americans often face terrible daily dangers in outdoor spaces, where they are subjected to unwarranted suspicion, confrontation, and violence. The outdoors – and the joy of birds – should be safe and welcoming for all people. That’s the reality Audubon and our partners are working hard to achieve. We unequivocally condemn racist sentiments, behavior, and systems that undermine the humanity, rights, and freedom of Black people. We are grateful Christian Cooper is safe. He takes great delight in sharing New York City’s birds with others and serves as a board member of the New York City Audubon Society, where he promotes conservation of New York City’s outdoor spaces and inclusion of all people.”
Amy Cooper said in an interview with CNN that her "entire life is being destroyed right now." She also said she wanted to "publicly apologize to everyone... I'm not a racist. I did not mean to harm that man in any way."
"I think I was just scared," she told CNN. "When you're alone in the Ramble, you don't know what's happening. It's not excusable, it's not defensible."
Christian Cooper said to CNN that he would accept her apology "if it's genuine and if she plans on keeping her dog on a leash in the Ramble going forward, then we have no issues with each other."
Tagged
racism
off-leash
racist
central park
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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