The white woman who called the cops on a black man in Central Park said her “entire life is being destroyed” since video of the confrontation went viral, according to a new report.
Amy Cooper told CNN that she wanted to “publicly apologize to everyone” after she was caught on video Monday morning calling the cops on the man, who asked her to put a leash on her dog.
“I’m not a racist. I did not mean to harm that man in any way,” she told the network.
She added, “[My] entire life is being destroyed right now.”
Since the video was posted on Twitter Monday — racking up more than 147,000 shares — Amy was placed on administrative leave from her position at the investment company Franklin Templeton.
She also surrendered her pooch to Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue while social media users accused her of animal cruelty, as she was seen in the clip grabbing and dragging her struggling pup by a neck harness.
The clash between Amy and bird watcher Christian Cooper unfolded Monday at a wooded area of Central Park called the Ramble.
Christian said he asked Amy to put the dog on a leash, and when she didn’t, he offered the pooch a treat.
Amy has claimed she felt threatened because she didn’t know what the dog treats were made of.
She is shown on the video, tweeted by Christian’s sister, telling the 911 operator: “There is an African American man. I am in Central Park. He is recording me and threatening myself and my dog.”
“I think I was just scared,” she told CNN of her actions. “When you’re alone in the Ramble, you don’t know what’s happening. It’s not excusable, it’s not defensible.”
Christian told the network he recorded the altercation because “I thought it was important to document things.”
“Unfortunately we live in an era with things like Ahmaud Arbery, where black men are seen as targets,” he said. “This woman thought she could exploit that to her advantage, and I wasn’t having it.”
On social media, Amy is being referred to as “Karen,” the social media shorthand for white women who call the cops on black neighbors over harmless incidents.
Meanwhile, Christian told CNN he’d accept Amy’s apology “if it’s genuine and if she plans on keeping her dog on a leash in the Ramble going forward.”
“Then we have no issues with each other,” he said.
The NYPD is not looking to bring charges against the dog walker, NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker said Tuesday morning.