Police investigating report of noose hung in Black electrician’s workspace

Police are investigating a report of a noose found hanging in a Black electrician’s workspace on Long Island.

Kyrin Taylor, a 23-year-old apprentice electrician, said he found a noose hanging in his workspace when he arrived at Cooper Power and Lighting Corp. on April 20, his lawyer, Frederick Brewington, told CNN on Monday.

“Seeing this took my breath away and I really did not know what to do or what to think,” Taylor said, according to CNN.

Taylor then called the police because he was concerned about his safety, and he got in touch with his union, IBEW Local 25, to notify it of the incident, Brewington told the cable news channel.

The Suffolk County Police Department confirmed the investigation to The Hill on Tuesday, adding that detectives with the Hate Crimes Unit are looking into the incident.

Taylor said his boss reprimanded him for contacting the police.

“I couldn’t believe he didn’t show any compassion, didn’t say sorry or have my back. He made it seem like I was wrong for calling the police and asking for help,” Taylor said in a press conference following the incident, according to CBS 2 New York.

“I am the only African American working for [Cooper Power and Lighting] and this was not the first time I was treated with disrespect,” Taylor said, according to CNN.

“I have been targeted by this act of pure hate and I just don’t know what to think. When will people stop thinking it is alright to terrorize Black people?” he added.

According to CNN, Taylor’s union helped him find a new employer, and he started that job on Monday.

After the incident, Taylor said he felt like his life was in danger.

“I instantly felt anger. I felt scared, like my life was in danger. I didn’t know what to really do, to be honest,” he said, according to CBS 2 New York.

The Hill reached out to Cooper Power and Lighting Corp. for comment.