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Amy Cooper
CHRISTIAN COOPER
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Amy Cooper, the white woman in a recent viral video seen calling the police on a black man who asked her to leash her dog in a wooded area of New York City's Central Park, has been fired from her job.
Franklin Templeton Investments, an asset management firm, announced its decision to "terminate" Amy on Tuesday, just one day after footage spread across social media that showed her berate Christian Cooper, an unrelated black man who was bird-watching in the area.
"Following our internal review of the incident in Central Park yesterday, we have made the decision to terminate the employee involved, effective immediately," the firm wrote on Twitter.
"We do not tolerate racism of any kind at Franklin Templeton," they added.
The firm previously said late Monday it had placed Amy on administrative leave pending an investigation.
The encounter between Amy and Christian took place on Monday and drew intense outrage on social media. Amy spoke to WNBC later that evening to apologize.
"It was unacceptable. And you know words are just words and I can't undo what I did," she said. "But I sincerely and humbly apologize to everyone. Especially to that man, his family."
"When I think about the police, I’m such a blessed person," Amy continued. "I think of [the police] as a protection agency, and unfortunately, this has caused me to realize that there are so many people in this country that don’t have that luxury."
In the description of the video posted to his Facebook account, Christian Cooper said he approached Amy on Monday morning when he noticed her dog was "tearing through the plantings" of the Ramble, a section of the park. Christian said he then reminded her that dogs in that area need to remain on a leash at all times.
Christian allegedly tried to bait the dog away from the plants by using treats, and that's when Amy threatened to tell police she was being accosted by "an African-American man." Amy, however, claimed to CNN that Christian "came out of the bush" and was screaming at her.
"There is an African-American man. I am in Central Park. He is recording me and threatening myself and my dog," Amy told emergency operators over the phone in the video. "Please send the cops immediately."
The NYPD told USA Today that officers were called to the area and determined that the pair had engaged in a "verbal dispute." No arrests were made or summonses issued.
Meanwhile, Amy's actions also drew criticism for the way she treated her dog in the recording. The video shows Amy aggressively pulling at her dog's leash, seemingly paying no attention to the animal's visible discomfort.
On Facebook, the shelter Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue, Inc. said Amy adopted the dog "a few years ago," and after concerns raised from the video, she "voluntarily surrendered the dog in question to our rescue while this matter is being addressed."
"Our mission remains the health and safety of our rescued dogs. The dog is now in our rescue’s care and he is safe and in good health," said the shelter.
PEOPLE's requests for comment to both Christian and Amy were not immediately returned.
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