Recently released bodycam footage shows guns being drawn on director Ryan Coogler after he was mistaken as a bank robber. Earlier this week, it was reported that police detained Creed and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler was detained and the bank made an apology.
First reported by TMZ, Coogler visited an Atlanta branch back in January to make a transaction. The director, wearing a hat, sunglasses and a COVID face mask, walked up to the counter and handed the teller a handwritten note asking to make a large withdrawal. The note sparked a misunderstanding among the staff, eventually leading to the police handcuffing Coogler.
1. The Atlanta Police Department released the bodycam video of the incident on Wednesday that showed two officers with their guns out just before they detained Coogler back in January.
As reported by Variety, in a video, an officer is unholstering his gun in the footage, before putting Coogler in handcuffs. “Whoa whoa, what’s going on?” Coogler asked.
The officers also detained a nurse and driver who were waiting for Coogler outside. The situation took about 15 minutes to realize that Coogler wasn’t trying to rob the bank, and for the officers to remove the handcuffs. The video shows a visibly shaken, but still calm and collected Coogler, who tried to explain to the officers that he was pulling money out in order to pay an employee who prefers to be paid in cash.
Coogler told the officers to look him up to realize who he is, prompting one of the officers to say “Apparently he’s a big shot or something like that.”
The teller explained why she was suspicious saying, “Every time I asked him a question he was like, ‘Look at the note.’ I told him give me one moment, I have to get my manager.”
Once detained, Coogler explained to the officers he was being discreet over concerns about his safety withdrawing such a large amount of money because he is currently living in Atlanta making Black Panther Forever.
2. Coogler withdrew the money for a medical assistant.
“I’m trying to pull money out of my own account,” he said to the officers. “It’s a medical assistant that works at my house and prefers to be paid in cash. Every time I make a withdrawal to pay her … if I don’t write it down on a note, the whole bank is looking at me.”
After the handcuffs were taken off when it was clear he wasn’t a robber, Coogler told them, “I put my own card in, and I put my own pin in. She asks to see my ID. I gave it to her. She goes in the back. And then people keep coming out, ‘They’re taking care of you, they’re taking care of you.’ Next thing I hear, I hear glocks being pulled out of holsters!'”
3. The situation has been resolved, says Coogler
“This situation should never have happened,” Coogler said to Variety. “However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.”
Bank of America issued an apology to the acclaimed director saying to Variety, “We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It never should have happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler.”
