Charges dismissed against Amy Cooper for calling NYPD on Black bird watcher in Central Park

NEW YORK – A Manhattan judge on Tuesday dismissed all charges against a white woman who called the cops on a Black bird watcher in Central Park for requesting she leash her dog.

Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi said prosecutors were satisfied with Amy Cooper’s progress in a program designed to have her take responsibility for the widely-condemned incident on May 25 inside Central Park’s Ramble.

“When this incident occurred, the people carefully examined the facts and evidence regarding what had occurred between the defendant and Christian Cooper, a civilian in the park,” Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said.

When Christian began filming Amy’s refusal to leash the dog in cellphone video that quickly went viral, she’s seen pulling her cellphone out and dramatically placing a 911 call.

Though they share a last name, the two are not related.

“I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life,” Amy is heard telling Christian, her voice rising with hysteria as she speaks to a 911 operator.

The responding officers found Amy before they ran into Christian, Illuzzi pointed out.

“They reported that some man tried to assault her and her dog, a statement that was objectively not true,” she said.

Had it played out the other way around, “The police would have then been in a position where they thought that Mr. Cooper had tried to assault the defendant,” the prosecutor said.

“Certainly, he would have been held — and held forcibly — if he had resisted.”

Illuzzi-Orbon said Christian’s wishes not to bring charges against Amy didn’t deter prosecutors from mounting a case against her to send a message to the broader community.

“The simple principle is that one cannot use the police to threaten another. And in this case, in a racially offensive and charged manner,” she said.

Charged with falsely reporting an incident, Illuzzi said Amy attended a total of five sessions at Manhattan Justice Opportunity as part of her punishment, where she completed a “comprehensive” program which included therapy and education on racial bias and cultural sensitivity.

“Miss Cooper’s therapist reported it was a moving experience and that Ms. Cooper learned a lot in their sessions together,” Illuzzi said.

Wearing a black polo neck with her hair tied back, Amy appeared serious and sullen as she sat in front of a bare white wall at Tuesday’s hearing.

Asked if she had anything to say before her case was sealed, Amy said, “No, your honor.”

Amy’s attorney Robert Barnes said he was pleased with a “thorough and honest” inquiry and that prosecutors had dropped the charges

“Others rushed to the wrong conclusion based on inadequate investigation and they may yet face legal consequences,” he said.