“Black Panther” Director Ryan Coogler Wrongfully Detained After Being Mistaken For Bank Robber

In January, Ryan Coogler was detained by authorities after police mistakenly thought that he was a bank robber.

Coogler, the “Blank Panther” director, was at a Bank of America in Atlanta, Georgia. He was attempting to withdraw $12,000 from his account. A police report stated that the teller got an alert on his account because it was over $10,000. The teller then told her boss that she believed Coogler was attempting to rob the bank and dialed 911.

Documents note that Coogler had written a message on the back of his withdrawal slip. He had said that he wanted the money to be counted discreetly because of how much it was.

As police arrived at the location, two people who work with Coogler were waiting for him in a parked vehicle. They were detained and put in the back of a police car. While police investigated, police put Coogler in handcuffs. After his identity was proven, he was free to go.

“The situation never should have happened. However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction, and we have moved on,” Coogler has said.

“We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It should have never happened, and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler,” Bank of America said in a statement.