Amy Cooper indicted for incident in Central Park involving Black man

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Credit: Christian Cooper

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NEW YORK - A White woman at the center of a viral video where she is seen calling the police on a Black man inside Central Park has been indicted in connection with the incident.

The Manhattan District Attorney announced that Amy Cooper was charged with falsely reporting an incident.  The charge is a misdemeanor.

Cooper was seen on the video walking her dog along a wooded area of the park known as The Ramble. A man, Christian Cooper, who is not related to Amy Cooper, could be heard asking the woman to put the dog on a leash.

Signs throughout The Ramble warn dog owners to keep dogs leashed.

She refused his request and became angered when he offered the dog a treat. Christian Cooper, an avid bird watcher, told various media outlets that he pulls out dog treats whenever dogs are not leashed. The only way to keep them from eating treats would be to leash them, he said.

> AMY COOPER ISSUES APOLOGY

"I'm taking a picture and calling the cops," Amy Cooper is heard saying in the video. "I'm going to tell them there's an African American man threatening my life."

Christian Cooper responded, "Please call the cops."

By the time officers arrived at the scene, both were gone, an NYPD spokeswoman said.

Amy Cooper lost her job at Franklin Templeton in the aftermath of the incident.  Her arraignment will take place on October 14, 2020.