'Stay in your hood': White 'Karen' fired after allegedly assaulting Black couple at Brooklyn dog park

Update: Emma Sarley has now released a statement, which is included below.

A white woman reportedly has been fired from her job after she allegedly assaulted a Black couple at a Brooklyn dog park over the weekend.

A portion of the incident, which occurred Saturday night in the Williamsburg neighborhood, was caught on video by the alleged victim, author Frederick Joseph.

"At the dog park in Brooklyn with my fiancé and this white woman was threatening to call police and told us to 'stay in our hood' because she had our dog confused with another dog who had been barking loudly," Joseph wrote above the video on Twitter. "So, I started recording and she tried to slap the phone out my hand."

The video shows the woman giving Joseph the middle finger and swiping at his phone.

"Stay in our hood? You just told us to leave the dog park and stay in our hood?" Joseph asks the woman in the video.

"Oh my God, did you just say that to me?" the woman responds, appearing to sarcastically deny Joseph's allegation after he started filming.

Joseph then turned the camera to a white bystander who apparently witnessed the altercation.

"You were right here and watched this entire thing. Did she just not stand here and tell us to stay in our hood?" Joseph asked.

"She did," the witness responded.

After the woman was identified as Emma Sarley, Joseph tagged her employer, Bevy, a community events software platform, as well as CEO Derek Andersen.

"Hey (Derek Andersen) I see that (Bevy) is attempting to be better about race, equity, etc.," Joseph wrote on Twitter. "Thought you should see this (video). I'm hoping Black colleagues and peers don't have to face this sort of racism from Emma."

Andersen later wrote: "Spoke with (Frederick Joseph) about his and his fiancé's horrific experience from last night. So sorry to them for what has happened. No one should treat people the way we witnessed. This is extremely troubling. I will update you shortly."

"(Bevy) has zero tolerance for discriminatory behavior of any kind," Andersen added later. "Yesterday an employee engaged in behavior contrary to our values and has been terminated. We apologize deeply to all involved. I personally hope some type of resolution can happen between the two parties beyond this and will help if I can."

Joseph later posted a video reacting to the news that Sarley had been fired.

"While it's unfortunate that she had to lose her job, I do think this brings up an important conversation about accountability, especially in a country where black and brown people, marginalized people as a whole, have seen so little of it oftentimes," Joseph said in the video. "Having to bear the burden of racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. — I think that it's important for people to know that there are consequences for their actions. and I don't think it's up to victims to have to coddle people who are engaging in abuse."

"I hope Emma learns from this," he added. "I hope that other people learn from this who engage in abusive, racist and destructive behavior, because ultimately, whether Emma lost her job or not, it doesn't take away the trauma that my fiancee and I have. It doesn't take away the feeling of feeling like anything racist can happen anywhere, so I don't think people should be coddled, and I do think that consequences are important, so hopefully this is a learning lesson for everybody."

According to the libertarian outlet Reason, Frederick Joseph is a "known fabulist" who previously accused an Airbnb host of Satanism.

Watch the video of the incident below.

Following this report, Emma Sarley has released a statement, which is included below:

"I am still processing everything that has happened over the last couple days, and thought it was important to share what I saw and experienced. I absolutely accept responsibility for how I could have handled things differently in that moment.

On Saturday evening, I watched a dog get into several aggressive altercations with other dogs at my local park, and as the owners of this dog were leaving, I suggested that they keep a handle on their dog while visiting this particular park. My reference to "back to your hood" only referred to another dog park outside of this neighborhood park.

I was frustrated and upset, but to be clear – I had no intended racial undertones in my comments whatsoever. I said it because it's an unstated rule at our local park that when a dog is being aggressive, owners immediately remove them so it can be a calm, welcoming environment for everyone else. However, I fully understand how my words could've been interpreted and I deeply wish I had chosen them more carefully. A brief and thoughtless moment in my life has now led to nationwide outrage and hurt. For that, I am sorry.

I want to clarify that I never threatened to call the police. I never went on a tirade. As the dog owners followed me down the street with the phone camera on, I was filled with some panic because I've never been in an altercation like this and reacted in an inappropriate way. That's what you witnessed on that tape.

I've lived in New York City for a decade, my Brooklyn neighborhood and dog park is extremely diverse, something I truly love about this city, and I never meant for my words to contribute to pain for anyone. I truly hope we can find understanding and a peaceful resolution to this, for everyone involved."