'Central Park Karen' defends reasoning behind calling police on black birdwatcher
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
A white woman who was captured on video in New York City's Central Park calling the police on a black birdwatcher to claim he was threatening her last year recently said she felt like there was no other choice.
Amy Cooper, who became known as "Central Park Karen," said that she didn't think she had "another option" but to call the police on birdwatcher Christian Cooper after he requested that she keep her dog leashed and offered the pet a treat, according to a Tuesday interview on the Honestly podcast from former New York Times writer Bari Weiss.
"He’s holding these dog treats in one hand and a bike helmet in his other hand, and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, is this guy going to lure my dog over and try to hit him with his bike helmet?'" she told podcaster Kmele Foster. "And if I end up over there, am I going to get hit by this bike helmet?"
“I don’t know that as a woman alone in a park that I had another option," Amy Cooper told Foster on Tuesday, referring to her decision to call the police.
CHARGE AGAINST AMY COOPER DROPPED AFTER SHE COMPLETES THERAPY SESSION ON RACIAL BIAS
Amy Cooper's remarks on Tuesday appeared to walk back her statement following the May 25, 2020, encounter, which went viral across social media and was cited as an example of law enforcement being called on an African American who did not commit a crime. The woman apologized at the time and said she overreacted for claiming in the 911 call that he tried to "assault her."
Christian Cooper, who has no relation to Amy Cooper, has said he often asks people in parks to leash their dogs in an effort to preserve the area's wildlife and environment, adding that he carries treats with him as a gesture to pet owners, according to NBC News.
Amy Cooper was fired from investment management company Franklin Templeton and charged with falsely reporting an incident in the third degree. The case against Cooper was dropped after she completed therapy sessions with a focus on racial bias.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Following a lawsuit from Amy Cooper against her former employer for allegedly not properly investigating the matter before her termination, Franklin Templeton said in May: "We will defend against these baseless claims."
Washington Examiner Videos
Tags: News, Law Enforcement, New York, Parks, Race and Diversity, Law, Crime
Original Author: Kaelan Deese
Original Location: 'Central Park Karen' defends reasoning behind calling police on black birdwatcher
