NEW YORK _ New York City's Commission on Human Rights has launched an investigation into the clash in Central Park where a white woman sparked outrage when she called 911 on a black man after he asked her to put her dog on a leash, officials said.
The agency, which is mandated to fight discrimination in the five boroughs, announced their probe late Tuesday and has sent a letter to Amy Cooper asking her to cooperate with their investigation.
"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," Sapna Raj, Deputy Commissioner of the Law Enforcement Bureau at the NYC Commission on Human Rights, said 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."
If Cooper is found guilty by the commission, she could face a fine or be assigned sensitivity training. The agency could also award damages to Christian Cooper, the birder Amy Cooper called 911 on during their 8 a.m. interaction in Central Park's Ramble on Monday.
According to Christian Cooper, a former editor at Marvel Comics who filmed part of their encounter, he asked Amy Cooper to leash her dog Henry, then offered her pooch a treat when she refused, hoping it would cause her to reconsider. Instead, Amy grabbed her dog and angrily demanded Christian turn off his phone.
"I'm going to tell them there's an African American man threatening my life," Amy Cooper says in the video, after telling Christian Cooper she was calling cops.
"I'm in the Ramble, and there's a man, African American," she tells the operator, her voice rising with hysteria as Henry thrashes around to free himself from a seeming choke hold on his collar.
"I'm being threatened," she starts to yell. "Please send the cops immediately!"
The video, shared on social media by Christian's sister Melody, quickly went viral.
As a result, Amy Cooper was fired from her job at investment company Franklin Templeton.
Critics want Amy Cooper charged with filing a false report, but neither she nor Christian were around when cops arrived, so no report was taken.
Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker on Tuesday said cops weren't going to pursue the matter.
Amy Cooper apologized for her actions, but during an interview with CNN said that this experience has destroyed her life.
