A police officer detains "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler at a Bank of America branch in Atlanta, in this January 2022 image made from Atlanta Police video. Coogler was mistaken for a bank robber at the bank. (Atlanta Police Department via AP)
By Kate Brumback
Movie director Ryan Coogler was briefly handcuffed by Atlanta police after a bank employee mistook him for a robber when he passed her a note while trying to withdraw a large amount of cash from his account.
The “Black Panther” director, who is Black, walked into a Bank of America branch Jan. 7 and passed the bank employee a withdrawal slip with a note written on the back asking her to “be discreet when handing him the cash,” according to a police report. He also had his California state identification card and his Bank of America account card.
He was trying to withdraw more than $10,000, and the bank employee “received an alert notification” from his account and quickly alerted her manager that Coogler was trying to rob the bank, the report says. The bank employee is a Black woman, the report says.
Police responding to the bank branch in the upscale Buckhead neighborhood saw a black Lexus SUV parked out front with the engine running. An officer talked to the male driver who said he was waiting for Coogler, who was inside the bank. A female passenger gave police the same information.
A description of Coogler given by the driver matched the description of the man reported to have been trying to rob the bank, the report says. The officer detained both the driver and passenger in the back of a police vehicle but they were not placed in handcuffs.
Two other officers had gone inside the bank and led Coogler out in handcuffs.
Police determined the whole thing was a mistake by the bank employee and Coogler “was never in the wrong.” The handcuffs were immediately removed and the other two people were released from the back of the patrol vehicle, the report says.
All three were given an explanation and an apology for the bank employee's mistake and Coogler requested the names and badge numbers of the officers on the scene, the report says.
“We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It should never have happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler,” a statement from Bank of America says.
A message sent to a representative for Coogler on Wednesday was not returned.
Released in 2018, the Marvel superhero film “Black Panther” became the year’s biggest film release, earning more than a billion dollars worldwide and inspiring “Wakanda Forever” salutes everywhere. The film was nominated for best picture; Coogler shared in the honor as one of the film’s producers. Work on the sequel has been happening in Georgia. The film is scheduled for release in November 2022.
While the director is best known for “Black Panther,” he also co-wrote the “Rocky” spinoff “Creed.” His breakout movie was writing and directing “Fruitvale Station,” about the last day of Oscar Grant, who was fatally shot by police in the Bay Area in 2009.
Protests across the country continued all weekend following the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse. A jury found the 18-year-old not guilty of all five felony charges. Rittenhouse was accused of killing two people and wounding another during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year. Jaha Howard, political strategist and civil rights advocate, joins Cheddar News to breakdown the verdict.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Yair Nechmad, Nayax CEO, discusses the future of cashless payments, and how cashless payments give retailers a competitive edge and allow merchants to scale business; Jason Thomas, Global CEO of Tappit, breaks down how the pandemic accelerated the transition to cash-free live events, and why that trend is here to stay; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Steam's 'Blockchain Revolution.'
With Thanksgiving two days away, the USDA is reminding hosts of the importance of food safety. Karen Hunter, Food Safety Expert, USDA, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the best food handling and leftover tips ahead of the holiday.
With millions of Americans set to host Thanksgiving this year, shoppers can expect to pay more at grocery stores, with the price of a thanksgiving meal up 14% from last year. According to the USDA, the average price of an 8- to 16-pound frozen turkey is up 21% from a year ago. Jay Jandrain, CEO, Butterball, joined Cheddar’s Opening Bell to discuss how his company is being affected by supply chain challenges and rising prices.
Jill and Carlo are a bit delayed today on account of Carlo's internet not working. Better late than never, they discuss what we know about the suspect in the Christmas parade crash, closing arguments in the Arbery killing trial, and more.
If you’ve ever watched a show or movie where a character is unconscious for some reason - drowning, electrocution, stabbed in a knife fight - you probably know what to expect next. Some hero will come perform what looks like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for a minute or two, perhaps in slow motion, and definitely with a dramatic musical score. And bing, bang, boom, the unconscious character miraculously comes back to life.
If you’ve ever suspected that this is a gross exaggeration of the efficacy of CPR, well, you’re right. But exactly how wrong Hollywood gets CPR is hilarious at best and downright dangerous at worst.
Brianna Wright, Senior Consumer Research Specialist at LendingTree, joins Cheddar to discuss how much Americans are expected to spend on Thanksgiving this year, and how millennials and gen-zers are taking over the holiday.
Special Olympics and WWE are announcing a three-year partnership extension of their global partnership to help create inclusion through sports. Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics and WWE superstar and Special Olympics Global Ambassador, Drew McIntyre join Cheddar News to talk about the announcement.
Gparency, a company that says its mission is to revolutionize the commercial mortgage industry, raised $15 million in its first funding round - representing the largest ever seed round in the commercial real estate space. Gparency's service will allow landlords and real estate developers to receive funding directly from banks, without the need for a mortgage broker. The company says its new approach will give power back to the consumer. Gparency founder and CEO Ira Zlotowitz joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
