Black Panther director Ryan Coogler was mistaken for a robber when trying to withdraw money from Bank of America.
Coogler walked into the bank wearing Black shades, a cream-colored hoodie, and a COVID-19 mask. A Bank of America employee in Atlanta, Georgia thought Coogler was attempting to pull a heist after he gave the teller his withdrawal slip with a special note written on the back that read: “I would like to withdraw $12,000 cash from my checking account. Please do the money count somewhere else. I’d like to be discreet.”
The teller, who was described as a pregnant Black woman, noted that Coogler looked quite suspicious, too. When she went to enter the deposit request in the system, a mysterious “alert” popped up, prompting her to raise a few eyebrows about the transaction. That’s when she notified her boss that Coogler was attempting to rob the bank, and police swiftly arrived on the scene.
Officers placed Coogler and two of his associates, who were waiting outside in an SUV, in handcuffs, but the trio wasn’t detained for long after authorities quickly realized who they had arrested.
“We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It should have never happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler,” a statement from Bank of America says.
The movie director has been in Atlanta, over the last few months, filming for the highly-anticipated sequel to Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is slated to hit theaters on Nov. 11, 2022.
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