Photo by: Kevin Winter/Staff
Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther, was arrested by Atlanta police in January after being mistaken for a bank robber at a Bank of America.
Coogler was detained after going to Bank of America to conduct a transaction, according to TMZ, which first reported the news based on a police report.
The 35-year-old director walked up to the counter wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a COVID face mask and handed the teller a withdrawal sheet with a note scrawled on the back that said, “I would like to take $12,000 cash from my checking account.” Please count the money in a different location. I’d prefer to be unnoticed.”
The director confirmed the incident to Variety.
Photo by: Tibrina Hobson/Stringer
“This situation should never have happened,” he said. “However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction, and we have moved on.”
Due to the amount that was requested to be withdrawn, the teller mistakenly believed that Coogler was attempting to rob the bank and triggered an alarm on the banking system.
After that, the teller alerted her boss, and the two of them phoned the cops together. According to TMZ, the teller is described as a pregnant Black woman in a police report; however, Variety has not confirmed this information with Atlanta police or Bank of America.
“We deeply regret that this incident occurred,” Bank of America said in a statement sent to NBC News. “It never should have happened, and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler.”
Officers who arrived reportedly detained two people waiting for the director outside the bank in an SUV, as well as handcuffing him.
Coogler has been spending time in Atlanta while working on the sequel of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The movie is set to be released in November.
Are we all agreeing that “this situation should never have happened?”
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