As two Black women were concluding a recent bike ride through Central Park, they came into a situation with a woman who is now being dubbed the ‘New Central Park Karen.’ When a portable phone charger fell out of one of their bags, the ‘Karen’ picked it up and refused to give it back, insisting the Black women first “prove it was theirs.” She then called the police to make false accusations against them.
One of the women, Tik Toker Alana Lambert, posted a series of videos documenting the event to her profile on May 6.
As the two women surrounded her to get their property back, the ‘Karen’ called the police to claim they were threatening her and surrounding her like they were “going to beat her … or something.”
One of the women asked, “Are you racist or something?” and the ‘Karen’ replied with “Yes I am.”
In the second video below, she can be heard telling fellow park-goers that the two women were threatening to kill her.
@alanalambert3so i met a NYC Karen today & I must say they’re a tad different than the South. Part 1? original sound – Alana Lambert
@alanalambert3This is how NYC Karen ended up with the charger. Its crazy the whole park was looking at us crazy. Part 2? original sound – Alana Lambert
@alanalambert3Part 3? original sound – Alana Lambert
@alanalambert3Part 4? original sound – Alana Lambert
@alanalambert3Part 5 ~ it’s my bday today.. have patience & give me 5 minutes to enjoy my Taurus life & not relive this. Full video on my YouTube if ur in a rush.? original sound – Alana Lambert
@alanalambert3Part 6. I got the charger back (: they wanted me to wait until she calmed down & walked away… enabling? ##karenact ##karen? original sound – Alana Lambert
Get The Upper West Side Newsletter
In another series of videos, Lambert documents her time reporting the incident at an East Village police precinct. The officer she spoke with indicated there was no real crime to report, even though the woman they dealt with didn’t appear to be a good person and may not have been mentally all there.
I just signed into law nation-leading legislation that:
-Ends 50-A
-Bans chokeholds
-Prohibits false race-based 911 calls
-Makes Attorney General the independent prosecutor in killings of unarmed civilians by policeThere is more to do & NY will lead the way. pic.twitter.com/i4MUKe37IY
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 12, 2020
Here are the videos Lambert shared from her interactions at the precinct.
@alanalambert3How I spent my bday yesterday pt.1 ##nycpolice? original sound – Alana Lambert
@alanalambert3Part 2. it’s not illegal to be a bad person? original sound – Alana Lambert
@alanalambert3Part 3? original sound – Alana Lambert
@alanalambert3Part 4? original sound – Alana Lambert
@alanalambert3Part 5? original sound – Alana Lambert
@alanalambert3Part 6. It gets worse… Normalize not calling racists simply “mentally ill” & not even doing anything about that? original sound – Alana Lambert
I?UWS writes, “Following last year’s incident between Christian Cooper and Amy Cooper, Governor Cuomo did sign into legislation a new law making it illegal to place false or racially fueled 911 reports. However, the officer at the precinct did not seem aware of this.”
Shocked, shocked! Perhaps a memo on this development should be included along with the next box of Krispy Kremes.
At least there was a happyish ending: Alana not only got her charger back but also escaped being jailed/beaten/killed by the NYPD for the crime of being Robbed While Black. Happy birthday, Alana.
Everything would have been so much easier if only this “Karen” personage had clearly identified herself as NYC’s official Ombudsman of Small Dropped Objects.
Oh my God this makes my blood boil. I’m so sorry she went through this. Completely unacceptable and it’s absolutely in violation of the “Karen Law.”
Are you a racist? ” Yes, I am.”
Why was so much space devoted to this post? How is any of this remotely interesting or relevant to living on the UWS? As for the comments about the police response: given that they can’t do anything about mentally ill individuals who actually pose a threat, why expect them to intervene in the case of an unhinged but harmless individual? This is a massive nothing burger.
AGREED!
It makes me want to unsubscribe.
Follow your heart.
Looks like we found the racist in the comments section!
“Why was so much space devoted to this post?” “Agreed! I wanted to unsubscribe.”
Maybe these kinds of comments are the problem. If you don’t see how calling out racism is worth your time, perhaps it’s because you reek of white privilege. Time to check yourself.
You don’t have to read it or watch it.
Are you aware of the thing called scrolling?
I want to be aware of racists in my favorite park, actually.
Extremely subtle hint:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/05/10/families-victims-and-270-groups-call-un-inquiry-us-police-violence-and-systemic
( “Families of Victims and 270+ Groups Call for UN Inquiry Into US Police Violence and Systemic Racism”)
Quoting therefrom:
“Impunity for police killings in the United States, especially those of people of African descent, continues unabated despite the recent settlement in the George Floyd civil lawsuit and the guilty verdict against Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis City police officer who murdered him,” the letter adds. “Furthermore, federalism in the United States, long-standing legal obstacles to achieving justice for police killings, and decentralized police institutions of over 18,000 law enforcement agencies (that are not directly accountable to the federal Executive Branch) make it extremely daunting to end impunity, even for well-intentioned federal administrations.”
There, something from “nothing”!
The women who attempted to file this as a police complaint could go directly to the District Attorney’s office and report what happened.
Falsely reporting an incident, as the woman is said to have done, is illegal.
If the events transpired as claimed, then the woman might be guilty of the crime of Harassment in the Second Degree, New York Penal Code Section 240.26.
Great coverage on a ugly incident that seems to be occurring more frequently although not always publicized. At the very least a U61 complaint should’ve been taken, the double standard is problematic.
Recently, the local precinct retired a number ”fair” Whites shirts & Community Affairs officers. Thankfully, the young women were patient and smart to record the disturbing behavior. Keys to the City!
those two little bratty bimbos both got what they deserved.
LOL! You’re a meme.
Alana got her charger back? True.