Black Panther director Ryan Coogler was detained by the police in Atlanta after Bank of America officials suspected him of being a bank robber, as per a report by Variety. Ryan was handcuffed as he was trying to make a transaction at the bank.
The incident reportedly took place in January, when wearing a hat, sunglasses and a face mask, Ryan went up to the bank teller’s station and handed a note that read, “I would like to withdraw $12,000 cash from my checking account. Please do the money count somewhere else. I’d like to be discreet.”
The teller misinterpreted the situation and thought it to be a bank robbery. They alerted the seniors, who immediately called the cops.
The Atlanta Police then came to the bank and detained two of Ryan's colleagues, who were waiting outside in a car. The Variety report also stated that Ryan’s colleagues were detained in the back of a police vehicle and the filmmaker was handcuffed and taken out of the bank by two officers. Upon verifying his identity and his Bank of America account, the police released him and his colleagues.
Ryan told Variety, "This incident should never have happened. However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.”
A Bank of America spokesperson said, “We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It never should have happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler.”
Twitter Accuse Bank of 'Racism'
Many social media users accused the Bank of America of racism after this incident. Film editor Vijay Venkataramanan tweeted, "Unbelievable. This is happening in 2022. You’d have thought the #BlackLivesMatter movt. at least made the cops a bit more aware. This is happening to a movie director of one of the most successful films of all time! Imagine the plight of middle class & lower income folk. #Racism".
Here are some more reactions:
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