A few weeks ago false reports were made in New York City's Central Park where Amy Cooper (white woman) called the police on Christian Cooper (black man, also no relation) during an encounter involving her unleashed dog. In response to that, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz and Senator Brian Benjamin see the racial bias and believe it only makes sense to criminalize similar actions across the state.
“In the past year, we have seen many instances throughout both New York State and the country of people calling 911 on black people who are going about their everyday lives, only to be interrupted by someone calling the police for reasons that range from caution, to suspicious inkling to all out hated,” Ortiz wrote in his justification for the bill.
“It is frightening that this incident happened just blocks from where many of my constituents live and that this woman was so willing to fabricate a story despite being filmed,” agreed State Sen. Benjamin. “I worry that if she had not been filmed, this woman may have been given the benefit of the doubt, and that this man could have faced serious, perhaps life-threatening consequences if the police had arrived.”
Photo: Getty