Black Panther director Ryan Coogler was detained by the police in Atlanta after the Bank of America officials suspected him of being a bank robber, reported Variety. Ryan was handcuffed after he tried to make a transaction at the bank.
The incident reportedly occurred in January when wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a face mask, Ryan headed up to the bank teller’s station and handed a note 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 misinterpreted the situation and thought this to be a bank robbery and alerted the seniors at the bank, who then called the police.
Atlanta police landed at the bank and detained two of Ryan’s colleagues who were waiting outside the bank in their car. As per the publication, Ryan’s colleagues were detained in the back of a police vehicle and he was handcuffed and taken out of the bank by two officers. Upon verifying his identity and his Bank of America account, the police released him and his colleagues.
Ryan told Variety, “This situation should never have happened. However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on.” A Bank of America spokesperson said, “We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It never should have happened and we have apologized to Mr. Coogler.”
Ryan Coogler was applauded for helming the Marvel film Black Panther which proved to be one of the biggest cultural events of 2018. He is now helming the sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The film is scheduled to release in November.
