Image Source: Publicly released still from Christian Cooper’s camera.
What Was the Accusation?
Amy Cooper faced widespread criticism after a May 25, 2020 confrontation with Christian Cooper, a Black birdwatcher who is not related to her, in the Ramble section of New York City’s Central Park. Christian Cooper encountered Amy Cooper walking her dog off leash in an area where dogs were required to be leashed. According to Christian Cooper’s account, he asked her to leash the dog. When she declined, he told her that if she was going to do what she wanted, he would do what he wanted, “but you’re not going to like it,” and attempted to lure the dog with treats. Amy Cooper objected, and Christian Cooper began recording part of the encounter on his phone.
The resulting video showed Amy Cooper approaching Christian Cooper while asking him to stop recording. After he repeatedly asked her not to come closer, she announced that she would call the police and tell them that an African American man was threatening her life. During the recorded 911 call, she repeatedly identified Christian Cooper by race and reported that he was threatening her and her dog. Her voice became increasingly distressed as she asked police to respond immediately. The recording ended after she placed the leash on her dog and Christian Cooper thanked her. New York police said that both people had left the area by the time officers arrived and that no arrests or summonses were issued at the scene.
The video spread rapidly online and generated national criticism. The controversy centered not simply on the disagreement over a leash but on Amy Cooper’s decision to emphasize Christian Cooper’s race while summoning police and alleging that she was in danger. The incident became part of a broader national discussion about racial profiling and the potentially serious consequences of calling police on Black people. Prosecutors later alleged that Amy Cooper also told a 911 dispatcher in a subsequent conversation that Christian Cooper had tried to assault her. She was charged in July 2020 with falsely reporting an incident in the third degree.
Amy Cooper apologized publicly on May 26. In an interview reported by NBC New York and TIME, she described her conduct as unacceptable and apologized to Christian Cooper, his family, people who saw the video, and those who were offended by it. She also said that the incident had caused her to recognize that her own perception of the police as a source of protection was not a privilege shared by everyone. In a separate written statement released that day, Cooper acknowledged that she had reacted emotionally, made false assumptions about Christian Cooper’s intentions, and had herself been violating the leash requirement. She said Christian Cooper had the right to ask her to leash her dog and requested that he accept her apology.
The consequences were immediate. Franklin Templeton, Amy Cooper’s employer, initially placed her on administrative leave and then terminated her employment after reviewing the incident. The rescue organization from which she had adopted her dog temporarily took custody of the animal; the dog was later returned after a veterinary evaluation. The criminal case was dismissed in February 2021 after Cooper completed five sessions in a restorative-justice counseling program that prosecutors said incorporated education about racial identity and equity. In 2021, Cooper sued Franklin Templeton and related defendants, alleging discrimination and defamation arising from her termination. A federal district court dismissed the lawsuit in 2022, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed that dismissal in 2023.
Amy Cooper’s May 26, 2020 NBC New York Apology — Excerpts:
“I sincerely and humbly apologize to everyone, especially to that man, his family. 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.”
Amy Cooper’s Written Statement (May 26, 2020):
“I want to apologize to Chris Cooper for my actions when I encountered him in Central Park yesterday. 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. When Chris began offering treats to my dog and confronted me in an area where there was no one else nearby and said, “You’re not going to like what I’m going to do next,” I assumed we were being threatened when all he had intended to do was record our encounter on his phone. He had every right to request that I leash my dog in an area where it was required. I am well aware of the pain that misassumptions and insensitive statements about race cause and would never have imagined that I would be involved in the type of incident that occurred with Chris. I hope that a few mortifying seconds in a lifetime of forty years will not define me in his eyes and that he will accept my sincere apology.”
