UPDATE: Woman Fired After Backlash From Racist NYC Park Confrontation

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A screenshot of a video taken by Christian Cooper showing Amy Cooper calling the police. Twitter

NEW YORK (AP) — The verbal dispute between a white woman walking her dog and a black man bird watching in Central Park might normally have gone unnoticed in a city preoccupied by the coronavirus pandemic.

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That changed when birdwatcher Christian Cooper pulled out his phone and captured Amy Cooper calling police to report she was being threatened by “an African-American man.” The widely watched video — posted on Facebook by Christian Cooper and on Twitter by his sister — sparked accusations of racism and led to Amy Cooper getting fired.

The confrontation began early Monday morning when Christian Cooper said he noticed Amy Cooper had let her cocker spaniel off its leash against the rules in the Ramble, a secluded section of Central Park popular with birdwatchers.


In a Facebook post, he claimed the dog was “tearing through the plantings” and told her she should go to another part of the park. When she refused, he pulled out dog treats, causing her to scream at him to not come near her dog.

Amy Cooper also warned him she would summon police unless he stopped recording.

“I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life,” Amy Cooper is heard saying in the video as she pulls down her face mask and struggles to control her dog.

“Please call the cops,” Christian Cooper says.

“There’s an African American man, I’m in Central Park, he is recording me and threatening myself and my dog. … Please send the cops immediately!” she says during the call before he stops recording.

Police say by the time they responded, they were both gone.

In the fallout, investment firm Franklin Templeton announced Tuesday afternoon it had fired Amy Cooper, saying, “We do not tolerate racism of any kind.” A group called Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue said it had custody of the dog for the time being.

Cooper told CNN that she wanted to “publicly apologize to everyone,” adding, “I am not a racist.”

“I think I was just scared,” she said. “When you’re alone in the Ramble, you don’t know what’s happening. It’s not excusable, it’s not defensible.”

Messages were left Tuesday with Christian Cooper and his sister.

“I videotaped it because I thought it was important to document things,” Christian Cooper told CNN. “Unfortunately we live in an era with things like Ahmaud Arbery, where black men are seen as targets. This woman thought she could exploit that to her advantage, and I wasn’t having it.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the video exemplified hatred that has “no place in our city.”

“The video out of Central Park is racism, plain and simple,” de Blasio tweeted. “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.”


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Boroch
Boroch
3 years ago

Years ago, when I lived in Brooklyn (prior to people cleaning up their dog droppings), I remember asking someone on Avenue H to clean up after their dog. His nasty response was “make me”. At that time, the NYC Sanitation Police used to hand out summonses to people whom they caught not cleaning up after their dogs. It was a terrible situation at the time, as one always had to watch where they walked. I remember one time my boss, on the way to work, stepped into dog droppings. When he came into the office, he was furious. The reason that I’m bringing this up now, is that this is a similar situation. A bird watcher politely asks a woman to keep her dog on a leash, as per posted signs. She immediately became hostile, and confrontational, and even tried to take the guy’s camera away, or stop him from recording. If the NYC cops know the identity of this person, she should be charged with filing a false police report.

Diamond & Silk
Diamond & Silk
3 years ago

She should set up a FundMe to sue and watch the money roll in.
She’s no racist. The biggest racists are the Democrrats and blacks along with their liberal Jews who throw “racism”.
to threaten people.
This will be Biden’s problem. The black radicals demand that he choose a black female for VP , qualified or not.

Elephant
Elephant
3 years ago

People like these are leading NYC bringing all stupid laws

Ben Franklin
Ben Franklin
3 years ago

This is what Obama’s agenda, media, Dems and libs have done us.
Divide us into race, gender, color, economic class, nationality. Everything is about race and all of these.
Remember this on Election Day or it’s all over.

anonymous
anonymous
3 years ago

She’s a crazy dog lover but not a racist. Keep perspective please.

Educated Archy
Educated Archy
3 years ago

If its not work place harassment and it occurred outside the work place what right does the firm have to lay her off? Seems Odd to me

Ralph
Ralph
3 years ago

I’m a bit slow ..What the hell did she do wrong ??? Quite interesting how the Mayor puts hid “2cents” in as usual … What happened to “Innocent until proven guilty” ???? so she is “guilty” ,& lost her job !!! All became she called someone an African -American !!!!????

anonymous
anonymous
3 years ago

This is exactly the reason why Jews mostly live in NYC LA NJ and other Liberal Cities. Racism, Antisemitism will not be tolerated. I hope no one will hire her again. You are Kofu Tov. Instead of thanking the Liberals for Protecting us (and the Blacks, Spanish, Disabled, women etc) you keep on complaining instead of moving out to the Trumpist MAGA NAzi States.

shaindy NMN steinberg
shaindy NMN steinberg
3 years ago

Her behavior was aggressive and abusive. 1. she did not leash her dog 2. she was in an area not meant for dog walking 3. she clearly told the gentleman exactly what she planned to say to the police. 4. she called the police and LIED, then left. She is both a racist and a disturbed person. What place of business would want a person like that working/and or representing them. She desperately needs therapy…..one more thing, she was prepared to ruin this innocent person, how do you apologize for that.

Yiddel mit'n fiddle
Yiddel mit'n fiddle
3 years ago

Here you go again.
You Trump hating poster.
The work BLACK drives you nuts.
Psych 101__ because you are a racist yourself and see it in others.
Tough.
MAGA….KAGA.

Giddy Gitty
Giddy Gitty
3 years ago

Oh, anti Semitism is surely tolerated in the cities you mention.
Liberals have turned against Jews.
Jewish libs live in a bubble.
You’re a raging Jewish lib who doesn’t get it.Plenty of assaults by blacks on Jews this year.

RoyCohn
RoyCohn
3 years ago

Now don’t get nasty , you TDS and raging race divider and who is subconsciously a racist..
We’ll speak our minds just like you.
She said nothing racist at all.
She may be nuts but that’s about it.
I’d be glad to donate to her expenses. Keep voting DevilRat and this is what our country will become.
A fascist dictatorship.

LockHerUp
LockHerUp
3 years ago

“She desperately needs therapy” Therapy? Ar you kidding? You really think that Hitler jm”s would have been different with therapy? A Racist is a Racist. A few years in Rikers next to many Big Black dudes she might start to respect them. That would be the only therapy she would understand. I sure hope they will arrest her. False Police Report is a Crime and she admitted it.

anonymous
anonymous
3 years ago

Don’t lecture us , you with the 50 IDs.
It’s funny : black is your red flag.
Very soon you’ll do what you did a few months ago when a black couple shot Jews in that Jersey store..
Post your 4 – letter obscenity because you’re in a toxic rage.

ArtOfTheDeal
ArtOfTheDeal
3 years ago

You Are FIRED. Lock Her Up. D’Blasio should call Trump to teach him how its done correctly. Until than I hope some African American Businessman will print some T Shirts with her picture and a slogan LockHerUp.

COOL IT
COOL IT
3 years ago

Calm down everybody.
We’re fools to fall into the Satan Democrats hands , that’s exactly what they want to do to us, which is to divide us and hate each other.
1. She said nothing racial
2. She’s wrong about her dog.
3 She’s a nut job.
4 He should of called police instead of involving himself.
Nothing racial_ all nuts.

Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
3 years ago

How exactly is she a racist ?? If you just lob “racist” you lost the argument right away.
Nothing racist here.
Sue.

Alma Acevedo
Alma Acevedo
3 years ago

You hypocrite.
You’re always smearing Christians and especially Evangelicals.
So many black church goers and you attacked and cursed them inclusively on other threads.
You racist Trump hating madman.
You’re the biggest racist here. This woman said nothing wrong.

Pravda propaganda
Pravda propaganda
3 years ago

Nope.
First pogrom and only pogrom in US history was in Crown Hts. Riot ..Blacks attacking Jews.
Do not fabricate tales.

J Street are Jewish Kapos
J Street are Jewish Kapos
3 years ago

Yes, Crown Hts was the only pogrom.
Mayor Dinkins, a black mayor, said they needed to vent.
Al Sharpton was the Cossack who baited the Jews.
Same Sharpton who visited Hussein in the WH dozens of times.

Rev. Charles Montague
Rev. Charles Montague
3 years ago

Thank you, Alma, he insulted evangelicals numerous times knowing that afro-americans are in that group. Don’t fall for this race baiting now.

Yiddishe Mamma
Yiddishe Mamma
3 years ago

Jews do not hate them. You Jew Coup supporting Trump hater , hate them.
We live in the present.
You, a Democrat, live in the past.
IOW, a slave party, a black hating kkk party.
Evangelicals, including the black ones , are our friends.
We love them.

Ocean Pkwy bubby babushka
Ocean Pkwy bubby babushka
3 years ago

So now world, you see for yourself what a liberal depressed Jew Coup loving, religion hating , Obama race baiting Trump hater looks like.
He’s our exception.

Scared?
Scared?
3 years ago

Maybe she felt unsafe in other parts of the park. Maybe she felt intimidated by having someone videotape her. Maybe she thought he would take away her dog or was luring it away to do something else..She seemed to have been alone and scared. Maybe she said his race so the police could identify him more easily.

petro
petro
3 years ago

She and her dog should be locked up in a jail cell with a big german shepard police dog gaurding her cell

poodle
poodle
3 years ago

she should thrown in jail for looking like Irishwoman with a low neckline

Susan Rice Benghazi exercise videos , Ltd.
Susan Rice Benghazi exercise videos , Ltd.
3 years ago

She mentioned his race to describe him just as you would a tall or short person.
Only weasels like Pelosi and yourself are permitted to call Trump, fat.
Only government agencies ask for race and color on applications.

This is what’s going to happen if the Satan Democrats win the election.
Won’t be able to describe a blue – eyed transgender or a drunken lib anymore.won’t be able to call Biden a demented rapist.

CNN MSLSD STURMERS
CNN MSLSD STURMERS
3 years ago

You can’t call corona, Chinese. Nor a trans, Mr.
Nor a black , Afro American . Nor an iilegal, illegal. But you can throw obscene epithets at Trump and supporters.
See what’s happening under Demon fascists?.

Boroch
Boroch
3 years ago

There are some people, of all backgrounds, whether men, women, young or old, who can’t stand to be corrected, and want to start a fight at the drop of a hat. Even if they are corrected in a respectful and civil manner, some people become confrontational. In the grocery, people routinely engage in shopping cart rage. They push their shopping carts like they are on a race track, and could care less about running over people. Even if one gets out of their way, it is not good enough. Or, they will deliberately stand in your way, and block the aisles, even when they have room to move over.

About three years ago, at a suburban Walmart, someone had their dog do its business right in front of Walmart, and didn’t have the courtesy to clean it up. Then, they had the gall to bring the do into the store! When I complained to Walmart, they were shocked, and had some poor employee clean up the mess! If they had done that in Singapore, they could have been fined $1,000!

Bob
Bob
3 years ago

Educated Archie, would you say that your statement that you “hope more people of color get beaten up for protesting the Coronavirus lockdown” is weak racism or strong racism?
Here we have an incident where someone clearly lies and displays racism, and you jump to her defense to say that this “girl” has only “weak racism”.

Vote Trump Dump democRATs
Vote Trump Dump democRATs
3 years ago

You have one guy who uses different screen names to attack our great President Donald Trump. Any Jew who does not vote for him can not classify himself as a Jew. Trump 2020

blondi
blondi
3 years ago

seems like she was looking to stir up trouble. If she was completely innocent she would say, “sorry, will put on leash” move on and leave that area. Instead, she leases the dog, and i assume, said stuff, that he took out his phone to record her words. Could be she had attitude at work also, and boss had enough of it. Dont mix politics into this.

Harry
Harry
3 years ago

@zion1948 You ask “Why did she have to mention his race?” To help the police identify him. Not too many men of color are to be found in that genteel part of Central Park. At least she had the good grace not to use the “N” word! That would have been totally unforgivable.