Case dropped after woman who called 911 in racist NYC run-in gets therapy
NEW YORK — Amy Cooper, the white woman arrested last year for calling 911 on a Black birdwatcher in New York’s Central Park, had her criminal case thrown out Tuesday after completing a diversionary counseling program that prosecutors said was meant to educate her on the harm of her actions.
Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said Manhattan prosecutors were satisfied with Cooper’s participation in the program — described as an alternative, restorative justice solution — and were not seeking to pursue the case any further. Such outcomes are standard for first-time offenders facing misdemeanor charges, Illuzzi-Orbon said.
Judge Anne Swern, presiding over the matter by video because of the coronavirus pandemic, agreed to dismiss the charge of filing a false police report and said she would seal Cooper’s case file, in accordance with state law.
The confrontation, captured on video the same day Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, drew worldwide attention and was seen by many as a stark example of everyday racism.
Christian Cooper, the birdwatcher who recorded the video and was the subject of Amy Cooper’s 911 call, said he had no reaction to the case being dismissed.
There is no relation between Christian Cooper and Amy Cooper.
Amy Cooper’s lawyer, Robert Barnes, praised prosecutors for a “thorough and honest inquiry” into the allegations and said he agreed with the decision to dismiss the case.
Amy Cooper, 41, drew widespread condemnation and was fired from her job as a portfolio manager at investment firm Franklin Templeton after frantically calling 911 on May 25 to claim she was being threatened by “an African American man” who had confronted her for walking her dog without a leash.
When police called Amy Cooper back in an attempt to locate her in the park, she falsely claimed the man, Christian Cooper, had “tried to assault her,” Illuzzi-Orbon said. The second call was not recorded on video. It was previously reported incorrectly that Cooper was the one who called 911 again.
Illuzzi-Orbon said that when officers arrived, Christian Cooper was gone and Amy Cooper admitted he hadn’t tried to assault her. Illuzzi-Orbon said Amy Cooper’s false claim could have led to a physical confrontation between police and Christian Cooper if they had gotten to him first.
Amy Cooper’s diversionary program, run through a wing of the Center for Court Innovation and a Manhattan psychotherapy provider, included education about racial equality and five therapy sessions focused on making her appreciate that racial identities shape our lives, but that they shouldn’t be used to cause harm, Illuzzi said.
The prosecutor said Amy Cooper’s therapist described it as a “moving experience” and that she learned “a lot in their sessions together.”
To some, the dismissal of Amy Cooper’s case after a series of counseling sessions felt like a slap on the wrist — and a slap in the face.
Eliza Orlins, a public defender who is running to replace Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., tweeted: “This isn’t surprising. This is how the system was designed to function — to protect the privileged from accountability.”
Amy Cooper’s 911 calls were seen by many as a stark example of everyday racism and fueled outrage in the period leading up to street protests sparked by Floyd’s death.
