Amy Copper Has Been Sentenced to Community Service After Falsely Calling 911 on a Black Birdwatcher
Amy Cooper was walking her dog in New York City’s Central Park when she saw a Black man named Christian Cooper. They were in an area of the park known as the Ramble.
Christian saw that Amy didn’t have her dog on a leash, and he told her that she needed to put her dog on a leash in the Ramble. Instead of complying, Amy responded in a very extreme way. She took out her phone and called 911. She claimed that there was an African American man threatening her and her dog.
What was Christian actually doing in the park? He was bird watching as he likes to do. He was in no way threatening Amy. In fact, as proof, he recorded the entire incident on his phone.
Watch the video below to see footage Christian took of Amy during the incident in Central Park and to learn what happened after she attended a virtual court hearing.
Not everyone is satisfied with the judge’s decision. One viewer wrote, “She needs to face jail time because she called the police twice so she Knew exactly what she was doing wasting the police and emergency service time.”
Another comment reads, “I wish she had gotten jail time. What if he had actually been arrested. He may have lost his job, assaulted in prison. The list goes on and on.”
While some people believe Amy Cooper deserves a harsher sentence, Christian Cooper is satisfied with the judge’s decision. In a statement, Christian explained, “My focus has been and continues to be fixing policing and addressing systemic racism…I think it’s a first step. I think she’s gotta do some reflection on what happened because up until the moment when she made that statement … it was just a conflict between a birder and a dog walker, and then she took it to a very dark place. I think she’s gotta sort of examine why and how that happened.”
Amy will participate in a program that will educate her about racism. According to assistant district attorney Joan Iluzzi, “This process can be an opportunity for introspection and education.”
Do you think the judge made the right decision?
