Amy Cooper, the woman at the center of the Central Park birdwatching case, allegedly made a second call to 911 in which she alleged that a Black birdwatcher “tried to assault her.”
The confrontation between Amy Cooper and Christian Cooper (no relation) occurred in May when Mr. Cooper asked Ms. Cooper to leash her dog in an area where canines were required to be on a leash.
In a now-viral video captured by him, Ms. Cooper drew international scorn after being recorded as she called 911 complaining untruthfully that an “African American man” was threatening and harassing her.
She was later charged with a misdemeanor count of falsely reporting an incident in the third degree.
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In her first court appearance Wednesday, prosecutors revealed that Ms. Cooper made a second call to 911 falsely claiming that Mr. Cooper “tried to assault her in the Ramble area of the park,” according to Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi.
Ms. Cooper appeared via video call, where she answered questions posed to her by the judge with a terse, “Yes, your honor.”
Prosecutors are currently negotiating a plea agreement with Ms. Cooper to settle her criminal case in a way that “can provide an opportunity for introspection and education.”
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Illuzzi is asking for Ms. Cooper to be enrolled in a program “designed to have the defendant take responsibility for her actions but also educate her and the community about the harm caused by such action,” Illuzzi said. “We hope that this process will enlighten, heal and prevent similar harm to our community in the future.”
Ms. Cooper is expected to accept a plea agreement in her case at her next court appearance on Nov. 17.
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The conflict between her and Mr. Cooper, a Harvard-educated Black man who frequently watched birds in that particular area of Central Park, escalated after video he captured of the incident was posted to social media.
There, Ms. Cooper was labeled the “Central Park Karen.” As a result of the incident, she lost her job and brought international attention to white women weaponizing the police against Black people.
“Using the police in a way that was both racially offensive and designed to intimidate,” Illuzzi said Wednesday, “is something that can’t be ignored.”
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