Amy Cooper is facing a criminal charge for calling the police on a Black bird watcher, but the victim believes she's already 'paid a steep price' and won't cooperate with prosecutors

• More than 44 million people have viewed the video of Amy Cooper, a white woman, calling the police on May 25 to report an "African-American man" who she claims was threatening her.
• The man in question was Christian Cooper, a 57-year-old bird watcher, who merely asked Amy Cooper to leash her dog in The Ramble in Central Park.
• The racially charged incident triggered widespread criticism, and Amy Cooper lost her job. On Monday, she was charged with making a false statement in the third-degree.
• But Christian Cooper has since issued a statement refusing to work with prosecutors or police on the investigation, saying, "Bringing her more misery just seems like piling on."
• This topic is trending on Twitter with people expressing both support and disapproval for his decision.

The encounter began with a request to put a dog on its leash in New York's Central Park.

But it morphed into flashpoint of racial tension when Amy Cooper decided to call 911 and allege that an "African-American man" was threatening her. The man in question was Christian Cooper, a Black bird watcher, who recorded the May 25 incident on his cell phone.

The video has since been viewed over 44 million times, and Amy Cooper, who lost her job, was charged on Monday with falsely reporting an incident in the third degree. The charge is a Class A misdemeanor, which means that Amy Cooper could face up to a year in prison or three years of probation, if convicted.

However, the case hit a snag on Tuesday when Christian Cooper released a statement announcing that he didn't plan to cooperate with the investigation.

"On the one hand, she's already paid a steep price. That's not enough of a deterrent to others? Bringing her more misery just seems like piling on," Christian Cooper said, according to The New York Times.

Acknowledging that a larger issue is at play, Christian Cooper added that "if the DA feels the need to pursue charges, he should pursue charges. But he can do that without me."

This issue was trending on Twitter on Wednesday. Some people said that he doesn't want revenge because he's an "abolitionist." They also praised him for his demonstration of kindness and called him a "saint."

Others, however, were outraged by Christian Cooper's decision and drew attention to Black people who were falsely accused of crimes by white people.

Meanwhile, Amy Cooper's attorney Robert Barnes issued a statement decrying "cancel culture."

"When all the facts are known, Amy Cooper will be found not guilty of the single misdemeanor charge she faces. Based on a misunderstood 60 seconds of video, she lost her job, her home and her reputation. Public shaming, lost employment, denied benefits & now prison time for a mis-perceived, momentary alleged 'wrong think'? For words said in a sixty second interaction where even the alleged victim calls this reaction way excessive? This criminalized, cancel culture is cancerous & precarious. That is why acquitting Amy Cooper is important," he said, per CNN.

At the time of publication, Christian Cooper had not responded to Insider's request for comment.