11 Mar – It was recently reported that filmmaker Ryan Coogler, most known for his work on "Black Panther", was recently detained, albeit briefly, over a misunderstanding at a bank. In a police report obtained by Deadline, the whole incident occurred back in January this year, when a bank employee at Atlanta's Bank of America, described as a "pregnant black female", mistook Coogler's written request for a US$12,000 cash withdrawal as a robbery attempt. The said note, which has the words "I'd like to be discreet" and a direction for the cash to be counted out of sight, along with the fact that Coogler was wearing a COVID mask and sunglasses, had triggered a computer alert, which conveyed that a customer was attempting to rob the bank.
After handcuffing Coogler and detaining him for a brief moment, officers immediately realised that the incident was a mistake made by the bank's staff, fuelled by statements made by two friends of Coogler who were waiting outside the bank in an SUV who told them that Coogler was a movie producer. "This situation should never have happened," shared the filmmaker in a statement. "However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on." TMZ had since released a footage from the police body-cam from when the incident occurred.