Amy Cooper, who weaponized the police against a Black man in Central Park, has just been fired from her job. The viral video of the incident at the park has caused outrage online, with the video gaining thousands of views and comments on various social media platforms.
What We Know:
- A day prior, Franklin Templeton had placed Cooper on administrative leave following her actions on Memorial Day weekend. Cooper went viral on Monday after video showed an encounter with Christian Cooper, no relation to Amy, who was out bird-watching in an area of the park called “The Ramble”.
- Franklin Templeton, an investment company that employed Cooper as Head of Insurance Investment Solutions, announced Tuesday that they were firing her. In their statement, the firm stated that they had no tolerance for racism.
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.
— Franklin Templeton (@FTI_US) May 26, 2020
- According to the Central Park website, The Ramble is often noted for its bird watching opportunities, where birdwatchers can catch a glimpse of some of the approximately 230 species found in the woods.
- Amy refused to put her dog on a leash and Christian began to film the encounter. Amy demanded that he stop filming or else she’d call the police and falsely tell them that an African American man was threatening her life. Cooper made good on her threat.
- Police arrived on the scene around 8 a.m. but both of them had left by that point. There were no arrests, tickets, or citations made.
- Cooper began to trend on social media as the footage of the encounter went viral and drew condemnation. She has since apologized for actions, declaring that “I’m not a racist. I did not mean to harm that man in any way,” in a statement to CNN but failed to address Christian Cooper by his name.
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. pic.twitter.com/3YnzuATsDm
— Melody Cooper (@melodyMcooper) May 25, 2020
- Melody Cooper, sister to Christian and the person who shared the video, thanked everyone for the outpouring of support. She wanted to make sure this never happened again.
“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,” she tweeted.
