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Woman who called police on NYC bird watcher facing charges

Posted at 11:30 AM, Jul 06, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-06 15:32:43-04

A woman who was caught on camera calling 911 dispatchers on a Black bird watcher in New York City’s Central Park will face charges.

The Manhattan District Attorney announced Mondayhis office has initiated a prosecution of Amy Cooper for falsely reporting an incident.

Cooper was walking her dog in the park in May and was seen on camera having a confrontation with a Black man, who was birdwatching at the time. The man, Christian Cooper (no relation to Amy Cooper) told Amy Cooper that by not putting her dog on a leash in that section of the park, she was in violation of park rules.

In the cell phone video taken by Christian Cooper, Amy Cooper is heard talking to 911 dispatchers and telling them a Black man was threatening her life.

Cooper was issued a Desk Appearance Ticket for an arraignment in October.

In a statement posted online, the DA is asking others who have been “the target of false reporting to contact our Office. We are strongly committed to holding perpetrators of this conduct accountable.”

Updates on this story available at PIX11.com.