celebritiesRyan Coogler (35), the director of the popular superhero film ‘Black Panther’, was wrongly arrested in January when he wanted to withdraw money in the Bank of America. The bank clerk mistakenly thought it was a bank robbery. That writes The New York Times.
On January 7, Ryan Coogler appeared at the counter of the Bank of America in Atlanta. The director – who wore a hat, sunglasses and mouth mask – handed the bank employee a cash withdrawal receipt with a note. “I would like to withdraw $12,000 in cash from my bank account. Please count the money elsewhere. I like to be discreet.”
When the bank teller tried to withdraw the money, she received a warning message. She then informed her manager. He suggested that they simply talk to the customer to find out what was going on, but the bank teller – who is pregnant – did not trust the affair. “I have to protect myself. I have to protect my child,” she later said. She also feared that the customer might be carrying a rifle. So she called 911. The description she gave to the police matched a fugitive bank robber.
Anxious
In front of the bank, the summoned officers found a car with the engine running. When asked, the two occupants said they were waiting for Coogler. They had to leave the vehicle and were put in a patrol car. Inside the bank, the officers handcuffed Coogler and took him outside. It soon became clear that the director was not a bank robber at all. Coogler explained that he wanted to raise money for a medical assistant who works for his family. His request to treat the cash withdrawal discreetly arose from the fact that he is uncomfortable with so much cash in his pocket. “I tried to withdraw money from my own bank account. The clerk did not indicate that it was a problem.” He added: “She got scared when a black guy gave her a note. I don’t know what more to say. If she was scared, she has to admit it.” The bank clerk is also of African-American descent.
Excuses
Coogler and his colleagues were immediately released. They were given an explanation for the incident and an apology for the misunderstanding. Atlanta Police Department confirms that this is “a mistake made by the Bank of America”: “Mr. Coogler never did anything wrong.” The bank itself also said: “We are very sorry that this incident has occurred. It should never have happened and we apologized to Mr. Coogler.”
The director himself said in a statement that the situation should never have happened. “Bank of America did work with me and addressed it to my satisfaction, after which we put the incident behind us.”
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