NYC investigates dispute between white woman, black birdwatcher

New York City's Commission on Human Rights has launched an investigation into the verbal dispute between a white woman with an unleashed dog and a black man bird watching in Central Park.

The commission has sent a letter of inquiry to the woman involved, requesting her cooperation in a pre-complaint intervention.

"At a time when the devastating impacts of racism in Black communities have been made so painfully clear-from racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, to harassment of essential workers on the frontlines-it is appalling to see these types of ugly threats directed at one New Yorker by another," said Sapna V. Raj, Deputy Commissioner of the Law Enforcement Bureau at the NYC Commission on Human Rights in a statement.

"Efforts to intimidate Black people by threatening to call law enforcement draw on a long, violent and painful history, and they are unacceptable," the statement continued. "We encourage Ms. Cooper to cooperate with the Commission and meaningfully engage in a process to address the harm that she has caused."

The agency sent Amy Cooper, the white woman who called police, a letter -- a pre-complaint intervention -- the first step in its investigation. She has five days to respond to the letter or the next step could be litigation.

Raj believes Cooper's actions violated Christian Cooper, the black man who was birdwatching, his human rights. The commission is seeking restorative justice.

----

NEW HERE? –

Hi! We’re abc7NY, also known as Channel 7 on TV, home to Eyewitness News, New York’s Number 1 news. We hope you love us on YouTube as much as you do on television!

OUR SOCIAL MEDIA –

NEW TIPS:

Phone: [phone]

#caughtoncamera #centralpark #nyc

[larryr.parker]

Also, someone needs to call PETA because she's dragging that poor dog by the throat like a crazy lady.

[EasyDuzzit]

How crazy is it that they have the same last name

[fritzremy]

She's more of a threat to that dog than anybody

[daisyb]

And now he has a bird watching show with Disney. 😂😂😂😂😂

[mlwebb]

She was choking the dog, this lady is crazy He was very professional and I glad he didn't get hurt you can see how things could have went bad no matter what color he is the way she was acting with distressed on the call any male would have been in bad shape

[EvanCops]

This man has his own TV Show now and im so happy dude

[g.a.m.]

That was horrible 😮If white racist police answered that call the Birdwatcher could have been killed by officers.😢😢

[brrentbay]

Without camera video
This black man would be in jail or worse

[kimryunsun]

So glad everyone has ability to film. This is the kind of thing that got Black Men killed in the South

[tyronesandoval]

She’s wrong, but people in New York making a big deal, and using this to make money

[judytaylor]

And maybe be brought up on animal abuse the way she is strangling that dog.

[reneel]

How is she not being prosecuted this is absolutely false reporting we've seen round video it's on tape when she called 911 this is criminal she should be arrested

[bklynny]

ANIMAL CRUELTY DID ANYONE ELSE FOCUSED ON THAT TOO!!!! HOPE THE DOG IS OKAY.!!

[davedruid]

I worked as a Residential Apartment Manager and I have had so many Karens trying similar things to me.

[andylarson]

The guy is the Karen, telling her to leash her dog. Prior to this incident, Christian Cooper provoked 2 other altercations exactly like this with other people that actually became physical. He carried dog treats with him for the sole reason of provoking unleashed dog owners. He threatened her by saying (off camera) "Look, if you're going to do what you want, I'm going to do what I want, but you're not going to like it", and lured the dog toward him with a dog treat. 2 sides to every story.
Christian Cooper was a birdwatcher with a history of aggressively confronting dog owners in
Central Park who walked their dogs without a leash. It was Christian Cooper’s practice and
intent to cause dog owners to be fearful for their safety and the safety of their dogs, and he had a
history of doing so to people, including to one African American man named Jerome Lockett who wrote national media
stating: “when I saw that video, I thought, I cannot imagine if he approached [Plaintiff] the same
way how she may have genuinely been afraid for her life.”

[onimoru]

She was mad she had to be disciplined like an angry 2 year old so she tried to get the guy arrested. And being racist to boot. Good thing the guy was recording or it could have been a different news story.

[bbureau]

I don't think this is a Karen. I think this is someone with a mental imbalance. Listen to the voice and the way she grips the poor dog. She is either a top-notch method actor or genuinely convinced this dude wants to hurt her, even though he's talking calmly, asking her to stay away from him, and suggesting she call the police. I hope they get her for filing false charges and get her the help she needs. Glad he had the phone on.

[ikagengmmeti]

So the guy's last name is Cooper and the false accuser is also Cooper? Strange coincidence

[michaeljones]

If a white woman was telling a black man to put a poodle on a leash she would be called a karen and her information put all over the internet. She was wrong here but he also needs to mind his own business about her dog not being on a leash.

[AudibunVA]

How dare such an innocent person decide to go birdwatching. Inexcusable. *Sarcasm btw*