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Bank of America apologized to ‘Black Panther’ director Ryan Coogler for mistaking him as bank robber

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‘Black Panther’ director Ryan Coogler was mistaken for a bank robber for all the wrong reasons back in January. Coogler, who is also a movie producer was drawn a gun, handcuffed, and briefly detained by the police while trying to withdraw money from a branch in Atlanta in January.

Coogler had handed a teller a withdrawal slip on Jan. 7, asking for more than $10,000, with a note on the back asking her to “be discreet when handing him the cash,” according to a police report.

Coogler showed his California state ID card as well as his Bank of America card when he approached the teller. Both Coogler and the teller are Black.

The teller “received an alert notification” from Coogler’s account and quickly advised her manager that he was trying to rob the bank branch in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, the report states.

“We deeply regret that this incident occurred,” Bank of America said in a statement about the episode on Jan. 7. “It never should have happened, and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler.”

In body camera video released by the police, Coogler was shown sitting handcuffed in the back of a police car.

He explained that he had been withdrawing money to pay a medical assistant who works for his family. He said that he had passed a note asking for a discreet withdrawal because he doesn’t feel safe when he withdraws cash to pay her and has to wait as the bills are passed through a counting machine.

“I’m trying to get money out of my own account,” he told the police in the video. The teller “never said it was a problem,” Coogler said, adding that he had used his bank card and PIN and had given her his ID.

Coogler, who was wearing a cap, sunglasses and a mask, said that he was waiting for her to bring his money when he heard the sound of guns being taken out from their holsters as the police arrived.

“She got scared when a Black dude handed her a note,” Coogler said. “I don’t know what else to say.” He added, “If she was scared, she’s got to admit that.”

In a separate video released by the police, the teller told investigators that Coogler kept pointing to the note and, even though he handed her his ID, her “stomach started turning.” On her computer, the withdrawal was flagged as a “high-risk transaction,” she said. She said she told her manager, “I don’t feel comfortable about this transaction.”

The manager suggested they talk to the customer, but she was worried he might have a gun, she said, and so she called 911. She added that, as a pregnant woman: “I have to protect myself. I have to protect my child.”

In a statement on Wednesday, Coogler said, “This situation should never have happened.”

He added that Bank of America “worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.”

Anonymous

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Metropoler is a social media-centric news website in the Philippines that covers the intersection of financial, business, media, tech, science, tourism, food, entertainment, art, politics, and culture launched on June 1, 2020.
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