“Bringing her more misery just seems like piling on,” Christian Cooper says to explain why he won’t help Manhattan DA Cy Vance prosecute Amy Cooper over their now-infamous Central Park confrontation.
Sure does: She got slammed across social media (and regular media) for calling 911 to report that “an African-American man” is “threatening myself and my dog” — when he wasn’t really threatening, just being creepy. (How many birdwatchers carry doggy treats just so they can lure illegally off-the-leash canines?)
And she got fired, too, as her employer rushed to avoid any spillover bad press.
Yet Vance has still charged her with falsely reporting an incident in the third degree, which could bring up to a year in prison. (Her arraignment’s set for October.)
The case seems beyond iffy — how many 911 calls include similar inaccuracies? — and a blatantly political prosecution, though an unemployed woman still might find it impossible to fight the charges.
Christian Cooper told The New York Times, “she’s already paid a steep price,” which should be “enough of a deterrent to others.” Indeed.