Recently, Black Panther director and writer Ryan Coogler recounted an unpleasant experience that happened to him when he went to the bank. He was arrested by the police because he was mistaken for a bank robber at Bank of America.
Not only Coogler, but two of Coogler's colleagues who were waiting in the car were also mistaken for robbers and were detained by the police. According to Coogler, this incident should not have happened. Many netizens commented that what happened to Coogler was racist.
Chronology of Ryan Coogler's Arrest
At the time, Coogler went to Bank of America to make a transaction on January 7, according to the Atlanta police report. He wore a hat, sunglasses, and a medical mask. Coogler then handed the teller a withdrawal slip with a note written on the back.
Quoted from Variety, the note read, "I want to withdraw 12 thousand USD in cash from my checking account. Please do the money count elsewhere. I want to be careful."
However, the teller misinterpreted the situation. He thought Coogler was carrying out an attempted robbery because the transaction amount exceeded 10,000 USD. This withdrawal triggers an alert notification from Coogler's bank account.
The teller on duty immediately told his boss that he was suspicious of Coogler, who was suspected of having attempted a robbery. They then decided to call the authorities. Not long after, 4 police officers arrived at the scene and immediately arrested two of Coogler's colleagues who were waiting outside the bank, in the car to be exact. While Coogler's colleague was detained in the back of a police vehicle, Coogler was handcuffed and led out of the bank by 2 officers.
In video footage from police cameras, it can be seen that Coogler was shocked when a police officer asked him to put his hands behind his back and another handcuffed him in front of the teller desk.
The officer standing behind Coogler quickly pulled his gun from its holster and pointed it at him. The footage also shows Coogler being escorted to the exit by police.
In separate footage, Coogler sits in the back of a police car and asks officers to take off his sunglasses, saying he felt like he was having a panic attack.
After verifying Coogler's identity and bank account, officers finally released the director and his colleagues. Coogler explained that he withdrew the money to pay for a medical professional working at his home who asked to be paid in cash.
A Bank of America spokesman said the mistake had been made. "We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It should never have happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler," he told Variety.
"This situation should never have happened. However, Bank of America worked with me and handled it to my satisfaction and we forgot about it," said Coogler.
A similar incident happened to John Pittman III, an African-American lawyer who tried to find a check for 12 thousand USD at the San Diego branch of Bank of America in 2021. Pittman was accused of trying to steal by the branch manager, and he attempted to call the police. He accused Pittman of not being a customer of the bank and not having an account with the bank.
Pittman and Coogler are not the only African Americans to accuse Bank of America of discrimination. The company was previously sued by five black employees for racial discrimination in 2007. The lawsuit claims that wealthy clients were directed at white employees and that black workers experienced discrimination over promotions and pay.
This incident is certainly very unfortunate and re-evokes the issue of racism against blacks. Since the Black Lives Matter movement after the murder of George Floyd in 2020 was full, the world's attention to the issue of racism has increased. Many netizens condemned the actions of Bank of America which indicated racist actions against black people.