Karen was out and in full effect this weekend as she popped up in New York City's Central Park as a white woman, Amy Cooper.
Amy called the police on a black man after being asked to put a leash on her dog. The man apparently began recording after their initial interaction and picks up where the woman is putting a leash on the dog. She walks over to him and asks him to stop recording to which he refused.Β
As the man continued recording, she said that she would be calling the police and "tell them there's an African-American man threatening my life." He told her to call the police as he kept recording the incident. The woman then gets through to an emergency operator and proceeds to scream and yell as though she was being attacked.Β
When officers arrived, neither party was present, therefore no arrests or citations were made.Β
Amy then later spoke to CNN and apologized for the incident.
βIβm not a racist. I did not mean to harm that man in any way,β she said, adding that she also didnβt mean any harm to the African American community.
βI think I was just scared,β Amy Cooper said. βWhen youβre alone in the Ramble, you donβt know whatβs happening. Itβs not excusable, itβs not defensible.β
She told CNN that since the video was posted, her βentire life is being destroyed right now.β
She has been placed on administrative leave by her employer, investment company Franklin Templeton.
βWe take these matters very seriously, and we do not condone racism of any kind. While we are in the process of investigating the situation, the employee involved has been put on administrative leave,β the companyβs statement read.
The incident is being pointed to as another example of white people calling the police on African Americansfor mundane things.
βI videotaped it because I thought it was important to document things,β Christian Cooper said. βUnfortunately we live in an era with things like Ahmaud Arbery, where black men are seen as targets. This woman thought she could exploit that to her advantage, and I wasnβt having it.β
Asked if heβd accept her apology, Christian Cooper told CNN he would βif itβs genuine and if she plans on keeping her dog on a leash in the Ramble going forward, then we have no issues with each other.β