A Massachusetts woman has earned herself the nickname “Dog Park Diane” after calling the police on a Black man and his dog.
What was supposed to be a fun day at the dog park was quickly ruined for an Attleboro man Franklin Baxley after a woman ordered him to leave the park after his pet allegedly kept “humping” and “assaulting” her dog. When he refused, the woman wasted no time dialing for the authorities.
Dog Park Diane told police that her dog was being aggressively “humped” and “assaulted” by another owner’s dog at the dog park. (Facebook video screenshot)
“Why are you calling the cops right now? Because I told you I wasn’t leaving the park?,” Baxley, 42, asks the unnamed woman in a video posted online. “Because my dog humped your dog?”
The clip, which surfaced Feb. 28, shows the man arguing with “Diane” and another woman, later identified as park staffer Carol Cobb, according to the Daily Mail. Cobb, who appeared to defend the woman’s actions, tells Baxley that his pooch’s behavior is “inappropriate for the dog park,” but the man insists it’s normal animal behavior.
“I’ve seen every single dog hump another dog here!” Baxley shot back in disbelief. “She’s asking me to leave and now she’s calling the cops?”
Meanwhile, “Diane” remains on the phone with police, alleging that Baxley had “verbally assaulted” her. In the video, the Massachusetts man acknowledged his pet’s frisky nature, but said he immediately pulled his dog off of hers. However, this did little to satisfy Cobb, who suggested Baxley and his dog were breaking the rules.
“I’m just trying to tell you what the rules are,” she says as Baxley snaps photos of “Diane’s” license plate. “You’re not obeying the rules. You can’t allow your dog to [inaudible] aggressively on top of another dog.”
In a separate video, “Diane” is heard trying to justify her reasons for calling the cops, alleging that Baxley’s dog wouldn’t stop humping and assaulting her dog. The 42-year-old former lawyer wasn’t buying it, however, and says he believes the incident was driven by race.
“If I were not black, she would not have felt threatened by me talking to her and defying her orders for me to leave the park,” Baxley told the Daily Mail. “I am a responsible dog owner, and my dog is super friendly. Anyone who goes to that park regularly knows me and will attest to that fact. The dogs were living their best lives the whole time.”
An Attleboro police sergeant arrived to the scene but said no charges were filed.
“Peace was restored,” he said.
Watch more in the video below.
https://www.facebook.com/ATLBlackStar/videos/406202583286953/