Black Birdwatcher Police Call Inspires Bias Bill

CENTRAL PARK, NY — New Yorkers who are the victims of false police calls based on racial or other biases such as gender, religion or sexual orientation will be able to sue their accusers in the near future.

The New York State Assembly voted Monday to pass a bill inspired by Amy Cooper — the woman who called the police on black birdwatcher Chris Cooper in Central Park after he asked her to leash her dog — that allows victims of unwarranted police calls to take callers to civil court. Victims will be able to claim financial damages in their lawsuits, according to the bill.

"When officers report to a scene with limited information and that information sounds critical enough, they may respond with tactical force. As we have seen, it takes only a few seconds for a situation to escalate. This legislation sends the message loud and clear that it is not a crime for people of color to exist in public spaces, and it establishes a means of recourse should they encounter such treatment," Brooklyn Assemblymember Diana Richardson, the bill's sponsor, said in a statement.

Legislators overwhelmingly voted to pass the bill by a vote of 115 in favor compared to 29 opposed as part of a package of legislation focused on reforming the state's criminal justice system and protecting New Yorkers of color. State lawmakers are currently considering a separate bill that would make filing a false police report eligible for a hate crime designation, which was introduced years ago but has seen a renewed effort in the wake of the Amy Cooper video.

Amy Cooper lost her high-powered investment job since video of the confrontation went viral after being posted to social media and New York City officials have called on the police to look into charging her with filing a false report. After briefly surrendering her dog, Cooper was reunited with the pet last week after an animal rescue group determined the dog was in good health.

In a Facebook post, Christian Cooper wrote that he approached Amy Cooper because her dog was "tearing through the plantings" in the Ramble. When Cooper declined to leash her dog, Christian Cooper said "if you're going to do what you want, I'm going to do what I want, but you're not going to like it," and began to offer dog treats to Cooper's cocker spaniel.

Christian Cooper told CNN that he keeps dog treats on him because offering them to unleashed dogs usually get their owners to restrain them on the leash. The birder told CNN that he was "actually pretty calm," during his entire interaction with the dog owner.

Video of the ensuing altercation between Christian Cooper and Amy Cooper shows that the bird watcher remained that calm even as the woman called the police on him. At the beginning of the video, Christian Cooper tells Amy not to approach him and says "please call the cops" and "tell them whatever you like" after an initial threat to do so.

"I'm in the Ramble and there's a man — African-American — he has a bicycle helmet. He's recording me and threatening me and my dog," Amy Cooper says after calling the police.

"I'm being threatened by a man in the Ramble, please send the cops immediately," Cooper continues in a distressed voice.