Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance, Jr. announced Monday that the woman caught on video falsely accusing a Central Park birdwatcher of threatening her will be prosecuted.

On May 25, Amy Cooper called the police on a Black man who was birdwatching in Central Park. She had gone on a walk with her dog, which was not on a leash when she encountered Christian Cooper. After an argument began because the dog was not on a leash, which was against park rules, Amy Cooper called the police. She claimed that Christian Cooper was threatening her and her dog. Christian Cooper filmed the exchange.

On Monday, Vance announced that he had initiated prosecution against Amy Cooper for Falsely Reporting an Incident in the Third Degree. This is a misdemeanor that could be punished with up to a year of imprisonment. 

In the press release, Vance encouraged any individual who has been the target of false reporting to contact the office, stating, “We are strongly committed to holding perpetrators of this conduct accountable.”

Amy Cooper’s arraignment is scheduled for October 14.