Central Park Karen Claimed She Was “In Fear of Her Life” When Approached by Birdwatcher

Kalyn Womack
·2 min read
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Screenshot: Los Angeles Times (YouTube)
Screenshot: Los Angeles Times (YouTube)
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Amy Cooper, also known as the infamous Central Park Karen, published an opinion piece giving insight into what she was thinking the moment she came across Christian Cooper in the viral 2020 interaction. Does her POV make the situation any less bizarre? Doubtful.

Cooper recalled the moment when she went to take her dog for a walk on May 25, 2020 in a Newsweek essay. She said Central Park allowed off-leash dog walking during certain hours, but after walking down an “unfamiliar path” (that required leashes), she ran into Christian.

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I was a female, alone in a secluded area of Central Park, with a man yelling at me and threatening me. As a victim of a sexual assault in my late teens, I was completely panicked for my safety and wellbeing.

Then Christian, who did not own a dog, bizarrely tried to lure my dog to him with treats, immediately raising a red flag. News stories of poisoned dogs quickly came to mind. My mama-bear instincts kicked in. I immediately pulled my dog tight by his collar, fearing that something would happen to him.

Acting from a place of panic and vulnerability, I told Christian that I was going to call the police and what I planned to say, hoping that would be enough to dissuade him from his earlier threat.

Christian previously explained to NBC New York that offering the dog a treat was his way of helping the dog stay put while their owner put their leash on.

Another conflicting point Cooper made was suggesting that Christian “taunted” her to call the police, alluding to his “Please call the police” plea from the viral video (in a not so “booming” voice).

She also said repeating the description of an African American man threatening her was not racially motivated but because the 911 dispatcher had trouble hearing her. However, she didn’t explain the Oscar-worthy performance of keeping a straight face while speaking in a voice trembling with terror as she stood feet away from Christian.

Since the video went viral, Cooper said she’s received endless death threats, leaks of personal information and, of course, being fired from her job, which she says forced her into “hiding.” She again insisted that she’s not a racist, that there’s no such thing as a “Karen” and that everyone is deserving of grace.

“I don’t know if I did everything right in that park, but I know I didn’t do everything wrong. I’ve tried to connect directly with Christian, but I’ve never heard back from him,” she wrote.

I don’t blame him for leaving Cooper on read. He’s too busy working on his new birdwatching show with Disney Plus and National Geographic anyway.

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