A white woman who was recorded calling the police on a black man after he asked her to place her dog on its leash in Central Park has been fired from her job in an investment company.
Amy Cooper can be seen in the video telling an emergency service operator in a very distressed manner that an "African-American man" was "threatening her and her dog".
The video can be seen below (some readers may find the footage upsetting):The video was captured by Christian Cooper, a black man who can be heard speaking calmly throughout the video and repeatedly asking Amy to stay away from him.
He claims that he had asked Amy Cooper to put her dog on a leash, and when she refused, he offered the dog a treat.
He told NBC New York:
"The only way they can keep the dog from eating the treat is to put it on a leash. At some point, she decided I’m gonna play the race card, I guess."
The footage was later shared to Twitter by Christian's sister Melody Cooper, who wrote:
"Oh, when Karens take a walk with their dogs off leash in the famous Bramble in NY’s Central Park, where it is clearly posted on signs that dogs MUST be leashed at all times, and someone like my brother (an avid birder) politely asks her to put her dog on the leash."
According to Dictionary.com, 'Karen' is a "mocking slang term for an entitled, obnoxious, middle-aged white woman."
Amy Cooper's employer, asset management firm Franklin Templeton, had placed her on administrative leave, but announced on Tuesday that she had been fired.
Making the announcement public on their official Twitter account, Franklin Templeton tweeted to their 99,000+ followers:
"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."
Amy Cooper claimed she felt threatened because she didn't know what the treats were made from. She also apologized for the incident during a phone interview with NBC New York. She said:
"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."
But Amy Cooper's troubles didn't end their, as several social media users also accused her of animal cruelty.
Throughout the video, seemingly in panic, she can be seen uncomfortably grabbing and dragging the struggling dog by its collar.
Later Monday (May 25), Amy had allegedly returned her adopted pooch to a local animal shelter.
Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue said in a statement: "As of this evening, the owner has voluntarily surrendered the dog in question to our rescue while this matter is being addressed.
"The dog is now in our rescue’s care and he is safe and in good health."
Per the New York Post, the shelter did not publicly identify the woman or link her to the Central Park incident.
Writing on Twitter, Melody Cooper later provided an update on her brother, saying:
"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."