It begins with Amy, nicknamed ‘Central Park Karen’ by social media users, stroking her rescue pet Henry then marching toward the amateur videographer, demanding: ‘Please stop, sir I’m asking you to stop.’
Christian, who does not appear on camera, claimed in a Facebook post that he had earlier alerted her to a sign that states dogs cannot be walked in the Rambles without a leash as it’s an area that protects wildlife.

AMY COOPER’S APOLOGY

Amy Cooper told NBC after 11 million viewers watched her call the police on Christian Cooper and claim ‘there’s an African American man threatening my life’:
‘I sincerely and humbly apologize to everyone, especially to that man, his family.
‘It was unacceptable and I humbly and fully apologize to everyone who’s seen that video, everyone that’s been offended…everyone who thinks of me in a lower light and I understand why they do.
‘When I think about the police, I’m such a blessed person. I’ve come to realize especially today that I think of [the police] as a protection agency, and unfortunately, this has caused me to realize that there are so many people in this country that don’t have that luxury.’

Christian who is an avid bird-watcher, claimed Amy replied that the dog runs are closed and her pet ‘needs his exercise’.
Christian explained in a Facebook post that he replied: ‘All you have to do is take him to the other side of the drive, outside the Ramble, and you can let him run off leash all you want.’
He states she replied: ‘It’s too dangerous.’
Christian told Facebook followers that he told her: ‘Look, 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.’
He then beckoned the pooch toward him and pulled out ‘dog treats I carry for just for such intransigence’.
But he stated he didn’t get a chance to toss any treats ‘before Karen scrambled to grab the dog’ and yelled: ‘DON’T YOU TOUCH MY DOG!’
‘That’s when I started video recording with my iPhone, and when her inner Karen fully emerged and took a dark turn…’ he wrote on Facebook Monday.
In the clip he responds: ‘Please don’t come close to me’ several times as the woman asks him to stop filming then tells him she’s calling the cops.
When Christian invites her to ‘please call the cops’, she responds, ‘I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life.’
Christian responds to the dog owner: ‘Please tell them whatever you like.’
She is then heard saying: ‘I’m in the Ramble and an African American man with a bicycle helmet, he is recording me and threatening my dog.’ 

They said a call came in for a dispute, inside of Central Park’s Ramble, around 8am but no report was filed and no arrests were made. Sergeant Mary Frances O’Donnell said no one has come forward to police since.
Melody explained that her sibling ‘started filming her because she refused to put her dog on a leash and he sensed she was going to go full on Karen. And she did.’
A Manhattan DA candidate shared her opinion on the matter Monday after the video was shared online, and vowed to make sure Christian would not become yet another victim of the criminal justice system that has been criticized for disfavoring poor black Americans.
‘This is serious. Happened today in Manhattan. As a public defender for over a decade, I have tried cases where the Manhattan DA uses a “hysterical 911 call” as categorical evidence of guilt. Usually there’s no video like this to refute it,’ Eliza Orlins explained.
‘What happens: White lady calls the cops on Black man. Cops believe her. He gets arrested and then arraigned. Outrageous bail gets set. His family cannot afford to buy his freedom. He gets sent to Rikers Island, where he sits for any number of days, months, or years.
‘Eventually the case resolves in some way–gets dismissed or he takes a plea to the charge or a lesser offense to get out because he’s threatened with doing serious time. Meanwhile, he’s potentially lost his job, his home, his children. Right now, it is even worse.
‘People are sitting on Rikers Island on the basis of nothing more than an accusation (like in this video!) with the added risk of contracting COVID-19. So, we can call out these “Karens,” but also we need a Manhattan DA who is committed to real reform. I will be that DA.’

The tweets from Eliza Orlins evoked memories of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy killed in 1955 after Carolyn Donham accused him of assaulting her.
It also brought back memories of the Central Park Five. When a group of Black teenagers dubbed the Central Park Five were wrongly accused of raping a white woman in the New York City park. They were convicted in 1990 and each served sentences from five years to 15 years before they were exonerated.
Social media users called for the woman in Monday’s video to be fired. In response, she was placed on administrative leave on Monday night by her employer Franklin Templeton: ‘We take these matters very seriously and we do not condone racism of any kind,’ Franklin Templeton stated on Monday.
‘While we are in the process of investigating the situation, the employee involved has been put on administrative leave,’ the statement read.
In addition to criticism of racism, Amy also received criticism of animal cruelty because she appeared to be choking her dog for nearly a minute after she grabbed it by the collar.
Throughout the video the dog is seen flailing around seemingly eager to be free of Amy Cooper’s restraint as she grabs the harness by the neck without attaching a leash. It led to calls from social media for the dog to be removed from her care due to concerns she was choking it.
Viewers of the video contacted Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue which later said the dog had been returned.
‘Thank you to the concerned public for reaching out to us about a video involving a dog that was adopted from our rescue a few years ago,’ they wrote on Facebook. ‘As of this evening, the owner has voluntarily surrendered the dog in question to our rescue while this matter is being addressed.
‘Our mission remains the health and safety of our rescued dogs. The dog is now in our rescue’s care and he is safe and in good health. We will not be responding to any further inquiries about the situation, either.’

Mayor Bill de Blasio described the video footage as “racism, plain and simple.”
While the Central Park Civic Association, which represents area businesses and residents, called for Amy Cooper to be banned from the park for life in a statement Tuesday.