Black Panther Director Ryan Coogler Detained After Being Mistaken For A Bank Robber In Atlanta

Black Panther fame director Ryan Coogler was detained by Atlanta police in January 2022, after they mistook him for a robber at the Bank of America. The director confirmed the reports with Variety and said that 'the situation should have never happened.'

According to the outlet's reports, The Atlanta police had detained and handcuffed the filmmaker after he went to Bank of America to make a transaction on January 7. Coogler opened up about the event and said, "This situation should never have happened. However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on."

The filmmaker revealed that during his visit to the bank he was wearing a hat, sunglasses and a COVID face mask. He reportedly handed the teller a withdrawal slip which at the back read, "I would like to withdraw USD 12,000 cash from my checking account. Please do the money count somewhere else. I'd like to be discreet."

However, since the transaction exceeded USD 10,000 it triggered an alert and the teller misinterpreted the situation as an attempted robbery and called the police. Meanwhile, the cops discovered the filmmaker's black Lexus SUV outside the bank with its engine running and two passengers, a woman and a man, seated inside.

The police report revealed that Coogler's description matched the description of a male suspect that was "attempting to rob the Bank of America." Coogler's colleagues were detained in the back of a police vehicle while the filmmaker was handcuffed and taken out of the bank by two of the officers. The group was let go after verifying his identity and his Bank of America account. The police report also said that Coogler requested the name and badge numbers of all the officers.

On the work front, Coogler has been busy filming the sequel to the hit Marvel film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, in Atlanta. The film is set for release in November 2022.