That changed when birdwatcher Christian Cooper pulled out his phone and captured Amy Cooper calling police to report she was being threatened by “an African-American man.”
The widely watched video — posted on Facebook by Christian Cooper and on by his sister — sparked accusations of racism and led to Amy Cooper getting fired.
The confrontation began early Monday morning when Christian Cooper said he noticed Amy Cooper had let her cocker spaniel off its leash against the rules in the Ramble, a secluded section of Central Park popular with birdwatchers.
“I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life,” Amy Cooper is heard saying in the video as she pulls down her face mask and struggles to control her dog.
“There’s an African American man, I’m in Central Park, he is recording me and threatening myself and my dog.