• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • FAQ
  • Meet the Team
  • About The London Economic
  • Advertise
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
NEWSLETTER
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News World News

Woman charged after alleged racist confrontation in Central Park

She was ordered to appear in court on October 14.

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
July 7, 2020
in World News
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

A white woman who called the police during a videotaped dispute with a black man over her walking her dog without a lead in New York’s Central Park has been charged with filing a false police report.

In May, Amy Cooper drew widespread condemnation and was later fired from her job after frantically calling 911 to claim she was being threatened by “an African-American man”, bird watcher Christian Cooper.

On the video he recorded of the woman, he sounds calm and appears to keep a safe distance from her.

"I would like to encourage anyone who has been the target of false reporting to contact our Office. We are strongly committed to holding perpetrators of this conduct accountable.” https://t.co/F3h1Ys6UDn

— Cyrus Vance, Jr. (@ManhattanDA) July 6, 2020

District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr said in a statement on Monday that his office had charged Amy Cooper with falsely reporting the confrontation, a misdemeanour that carries a maximum penalty of a year behind bars.

Court

She was ordered to appear in court on October 14.

Ms Cooper’s lawyer, Robert Barnes, said she would fight the charge. His client, he said, has already lost her livelihood and “her public life. Now some demand her freedom?”

Reached by phone on Monday, Christian Cooper said he had no reaction or comment.

RelatedPosts

‘Donald J Trump ain’t going anywhere’ – Trump remains the dominant force at US conservative conference

US implicates Saudi crown prince in journalist’s killing as 40% of UK arms exports sold to country

‘Thank you everyone’ – Man leaves church after years in sanctuary to avoid deportation

Germans are refusing the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine

After the backlash, Ms Cooper released an apology through a public relations service, saying she “reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions”.

“He had every right to request that I leash my dog in an area where it was required,” she said in the written statement.

“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.”

Ms Cooper’s 911 call was seen by many as a stark example of everyday racism and fuelled outrage in the period leading up to the street protests sparked by the police custody death of George Floyd.

Civil rights law

It also inspired New York state lawmakers in June to pass a law that makes it easier under civil rights law to sue an individual who calls a police officer on someone “without reason” because of their background, including race and national origin.

The new law, which the governor also signed last month, holds an individual who makes such 911 calls liable “for injunctive relief, damages, or any other appropriate relief” in a civil lawsuit.

Ms Cooper was charged under an existing false-report law that has been long on the books and does not reference race.

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

In the video posted on social media, 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.

Ms 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,” Ms Cooper is heard saying in the video as she pulls down her face mask and struggles to control her dog.

“Please call the cops,” Mr 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.

Related – Harry & Meghan say wrongs of Commonwealth need to be acknowledged


While you’re here

While you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Free, independent journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free, independent media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can’t do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting free, independent journalism.

The shop can be found here.


Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending fromTLE

  • All
  • trending

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

Stress, fear and homelessness: The threat looming over families confronted with eviction

File photo dated 07/11/03 of a prison cell.

The Other Prison Pandemic

Latest from TLE

Euro Millions results Friday 5th March 2021

thunder ball results

Thunder Ball Results, Friday 5th March 2021

Pink Marmalade Gin

Pink Marmalade Gin: a natural, colour changing gin

Mail On Sunday ordered to print front-page statement on Meghan’s copyright win

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: jack@thelondoneconomic.com

Commercial enquiries, please contact: advertise@thelondoneconomic.com

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech & Auto
  • About The London Economic
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy policy

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.