The police have released bodycam footage showing the bizarre moment Black Panther director was arrested at his bank.
In January, Ryan Coogler, one of the masterminds behind the movie Black Panther, was apprehended by the police after being mistaken for a bank robber.
The incident took place in Atlanta where the award-winning movie director attempted to withdraw $12,000 by handing a note with the desired amount written on it to one of the bank tellers.
As the 35-year-old explained to the teller, he wanted to withdraw the cash “discreetly,” hence the note.
Moments later, Coogler was left stunned after police officers stormed the bank and ordered him to put his hands behind his back.
“Woah, woah woah,” Coogler said. “You got it, you got it. Is that really how you’re doing this, bro? I’m trying to pull money out of my own account.”
The director was then patted down, handcuffed, and escorted out of the building before being ordered inside a police car.
Meanwhile, as seen in the newly-released police footage, the cops talked to the female teller who called the police on the 35-year-old in an attempt to get to the bottom of the incident.
“I told my manager I don’t feel comfortable about this transaction. I said, ‘he handed me a note and just told me to look at the note and he wants $12,000.’ My manger says ‘let’s go around and talk to him.’ I said ‘no, I’m pregnant. I don’t know if he got a gun or whatever,’” the teller told the officers.
Responding, the police inquired whether the teller had verified the customer’s account and requested funds in the system.
“He had the amount in his account, but still he wasn’t trying to talk to me, he just kept saying ‘look at the note’ and working in a bank if anybody hands you a note…” the teller added before getting interrupted by an officer who asked her if she had checked the man’s ID to confirm whether it was really him.
“I didn’t look because I was startled. I just know he had a California ID,” she explained.
Defending her actions, the teller added: “It seems odd because you’re making a withdrawal but you hand me a note on the back of a deposit slip and keep telling me ‘look at the note’ but you don’t want to talk to me. It’s just weird.”
Explaining his side of the story, Coogler revealed that he was withdrawing the sum to pay a worker who prefers cash. He also said he used the note because he feels uncomfortable saying the substantial amount aloud in front of other people.
“Every time I make a withdraw to pay her, because it’s a large amount, if I don’t write down how much I want out and that I don’t want it run through the money counter right there at the desk the whole bank ends up looking at me because they hear money going through the count,” the director explained.
“I don’t feel safe. I don’t feel safe getting my out like that, sir.”
After the mistake was realized, Coogler was released and the Bank of America apologized for the misunderstanding.
Speaking of the incident, the 35-year-old insisted that this should never have happened. However, he also acknowledged the bank’s apology as he told Good Morning America that the bank addressed the issue to his satisfaction.
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