Black Panther director Ryan Coogler, was detained by police in Atlanta back in January after he was mistaken for a bank robber while attempting to make a transaction at a bank, Variety reports.
The incident took place in January of 2021.
“This situation should never have happened,” Coogler said, confirming the incident. “However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.”
According to the police report, Coogler was detained after he went to a Bank of America branch to make a transaction. At the time, he was wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a COVID face mask as he came to the counter and handed the teller a withdrawal slip with a note.
“I would like to withdraw $12,000 cash from my checking account,” the note reportedly read. “ Please do the money count somewhere else. I’d like to be discreet.”
The teller interpreted the interaction as an attempted robbery considering the amount of the transaction and triggered the alarm on the security system. Then the teller alerted her boss and they contacted the police. Per the police report, the teller was a pregnant Black woman.
When the police arrived on the scene, they allegedly detained two people in an SUV that came with Coogler outside the bank and he was also handcuffed.
“We deeply regret that this incident occurred,” Bank of America said in a statement. “It never should have happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler.”
Coogler was in Atlanta filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to Black Panther. The film is set for release in November.
