Black Panther director targeted as bank robber

Police arrested Black Panther director Ryan Coogler when he tried to take out money from his account after bank officials misinterpreted his request for a “discreet” withdrawal.

The incident took place in January at an Atlanta Bank of America. A video released by the Atlanta Police Department on Wednesday shows officers arresting Coogler at the counter.

One of the officers in the video tells Coogler to put his hands behind his back. While the filmmaker briefly protests, he eventually complies with the demand and is seen being escorted away. Police reportedly also arrested two men from Coogler’s entourage who were waiting for him in the car outside the bank, Variety reported.

Coogler was wearing a face mask, black glasses and a black hat when he turned out at the bank on January 7, asking the teller to take $12,000 cash from his account. The director, best known for his 'Black Panther' movie, made the request in a handwritten note, specifically asking the bank official that she counts the money “discreetly.”

The teller subsequently insisted that it was her computer, not she, that set off a red flag when she began entering the data from the withdrawal slip. After the computer flagged the transaction, she reportedly alerted her boss, and the pair dialed 911. Both the teller and Coogler are black. 

The 'Creed' director confirmed the incident initially reported by TMZ, adding that the whole “situation never should have happened.” Bank of America has since apologized to Coogler for the blunder. The filmmaker was promptly released after his arrest after the police verified his identity and bank account.