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."
The 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America went on strike this week after negotiations with Hollywood studios that began in March failed to result in an agreement.
Filmmaker and comedian W. Kamau Bell joined Cheddar News to talk about his HBO documentary project, United Shades of America, which tackles growing up mixed-race in America.
British star Ed Sheeran is facing accusations that he plagiarized Marvin Gaye's hit song, "Let's Get It On." Cheddar News breaks down how the high-profile copyright trial came to fruition and gets expert guidance from Joe Bennett, a forensic musicologist.
The 2023 Tony Awards are scheduled for next month, and Some Like It Hot, a musical and theatrical adaptation of the 1959 film, is leading the pack with a total of 13 nominations.
