This image made from Monday, May 25, 2020, video provided by Christian Cooper shows Amy Cooper with her dog talking to Christian Cooper at Central Park in New York. A video of a verbal dispute between Amy Cooper, walking her dog off a leash and Christian Cooper, a black man bird watching in Central Park, is sparking accusations of racism. (Christian Cooper via AP)
A white woman walking her dog who called the police during a videotaped dispute with a Black man in Central Park was charged Monday with filing a false report.
In May, Amy Cooper drew widespread condemnation for calling 911 to report she was being threatened by "an African-American man" when bird watcher Christian Cooper appeared to keep his distance as he recorded her rant on his phone.
District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said in a statement on Monday that his office had charged Amy Cooper with falsely reporting the confrontation, a misdemeanor. She was ordered to appear in court on Oct. 14.
After the backlash, Amy Cooper released an apology through a public relations service, saying she "reacted emotionally and made false assumptions about his intentions."
"He had every right to request that I leash my dog in an area where it was required," she said in the written statement. "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."
An Associated Press analysis of more than 130 bills in 40 state legislatures found of the proposals, as introduced or passed, are identical or very similar to some model legislation, the AP found.
The first book in the Harry Potter series hit shelves in 1997. Since then, it’s become a multibillion dollar franchise with multiple books and movies, a theme park, and now an interactive exhibit in New York City. Cheddar’s own Ashley Mastronardi visited earlier this week before it was open to the public.
Cheddar recommends "Queenmaker: The Making of an It Girl," "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," "The Mother," "A Man Called Otto," "The Covenant," and "The Great American Recipe."
Alyssa Fox, the first Asian-American to star as Elphaba the witch in Broadway's 'Wicked,' spoke with Cheddar News to discuss how she landed her dream role and the logistics behind her character.