'Black Panther’ Director Ryan Coogler Mistaken for Bank Robber

The director of a hit superhero film Black Panther was mistaken for a bank robber as he tried to take money out of his account in the US, a police report has revealed.

Bank of America has apologized to the director Ryan Coogler after he was assumed to be a bank robber and briefly handcuffed by the police while trying to withdraw money from a branch in Atlanta in January.

Mr. Coogler, best known for directing “Black Panther,” had handed a teller a withdrawal slip on Jan. 7, asking for more than $10,000, with a note on the back asking her to “be discreet when handing him the cash,” according to a police report.

The transaction triggered an automatic notification as it was over $10,000, at which point the teller told her boss she suspected a robbery, and the police were called.

The police confirmed that the episode resulted from a “mistake by Bank of America and that Mr. Coogler was never in the wrong,” according to the report, which adds that Mr. Coogler was immediately taken out of handcuffs and that the two others were taken out of the patrol car.

A Bank of America spokesperson told US magazine Variety: "We deeply regret that this incident occurred. It never should have happened and we have apologised to Mr Coogler."