Investment banker fired over racist video of her shouting at black man

A white woman who was filmed telling police that an ‘African American man was threatening’ her after he politely asked her to put her dog on a lead has been fired.

After footage of the incident was watched by millions on social media and caused global outrage, Amy Cooper, 41, was sacked from her top job as an investment banker, which would be ‘effective immediately’ the company said.

Ms Cooper’s employer, Franklin Templeton, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday: ‘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.’

A group called Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue said it has custody of her dog, after viewers expressed concern over the welfare of the pet. He could be heard coughing in the video, as she clenched him by the collar pulling his front legs off the ground.

The video was filmed by Christian Cooper, 57, who was so upset by the incident he fell victim to that he shared it on social media.

Mr Cooper told CNN: ‘Unfortunately 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 wasn’t having it’.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the video exemplified hatred that has ‘no place in our city.’

He tweeted: ‘The video out of Central Park is racism, plain and simple. She called the police BECAUSE he was a Black man. Even though she was the one breaking the rules. She decided he was the criminal and we know why.’

Ms Cooper later apologised saying she ‘reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions’ and insisted ‘I am not racist’.

The incident unfolded on Monday morning after birdwatcher Mr Cooper asked Ms Cooper to put her dog on a lead fearing it could endanger wildlife in New York’s Central Park.

They were in the Ramble part of the park – a secluded area for birdwatchers – where rules state that dogs must be kept on leads at all times.

Mr Cooper said he asked Ms Cooper to put her dog on the lead because it was ‘tearing through the plantings’ area and suggested she 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.

He then pulled out his phone to film the incident, to which Ms Cooper marched towards him saying: ‘Please stop, sir I am asking you to stop’.

Mr Cooper says ‘please don’t come close to me’ several times as the woman threatens to call the police.

When Mr Cooper invites her to ‘please call the cops’, she responds: ‘I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life.’

Mr Cooper responds: ‘Please tell them whatever you like.’

She is then heard saying on the phone while struggling to control her dog by its collar: ‘I’m in the Ramble and an African American man with a bicycle helmet, he is recording me and threatening myself and my dog… Please send the cops immediately!’

Eventually, she clips the lead back on her dog, to which Mr Cooper replies ‘thank you’ and stops filming. Police say by the time they responded to the incident, they were both gone.

On Tuesday night, Ms Cooper issued an apology through a public relations service. The statement read: ‘He had every right to request that I leash my dog in an area where it was required.

‘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 later insisted to CNN: ‘I am not a racist.’

‘I think I was just scared,’ she said. ‘When you’re alone in the Ramble, you don’t know what’s happening. It’s not excusable, it’s not defensible.’

However, in an interview with The New York Times, Mr Cooper showed empathy for the stranger.

‘It’s a little bit of a frenzy, and I am uncomfortable with that,’ he said.

‘If our goal is to change the underlying factors, I am not sure that this young woman having her life completely torn apart serves that goal.’

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