Amy Cooper, the woman from the recent viral Central Park confrontation video, could now face charges. It was revealed on Friday that the New York Police Department are currently still deciding whether or not they intend to charge her for filing a false police report, according to the Daily Mail .
The incident occurred when an African American man named Christian Cooper, who was birdwatching, asked the woman to put her dog on a leash. Cooper responded by calling 911 and telling the dispatcher a hysterical story about her life being threatened by an African American man. Mr. Cooper, who is not related to the woman, recorded the interaction and shared it online, where it later circulated on the news and on social media.
Filing a false police report is a crime that is taken very seriously in the United States. Depending upon the situation, it could result in either a misdemeanor or felony charge and could result in a prison sentence of up to a year.
NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan discussed the possibility of Cooper being arrested for her actions. He explained that for this to happen they will have to be able to prove that it was indeed a false police report and that under no circumstances was she ever threatened.
“Our detectives are working hand in hand right now with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Obviously, we don’t want to make an arrest if the DA isn’t sure if they can prosecute that. If it’s a false call and we can prove it, there’s going to be an arrest… If someone intentionally makes a false call and we can prove it, they will be arrested right away. There is no place for that in this city.”
Law enforcement is looking at the clip closely and will be speaking to both individuals involved in the situation to determine what exactly happened. If it is proven she fabricated the story, Cooper will likely be charged.
“We’re taking a look at exactly what the calls were, speaking to Christian, speaking to Amy, speaking to everyone involved, looking through all the videos to see if it sustains a charge,” Monahan continued.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Cooper faced intense backlash after the release of the video and even lost her job at Franklin Templeton Investments.
In a public statement, the firm revealed that it had seen the viral video and made the decision to terminate Cooper because of it. The company further emphasized that it has no tolerance for racism.