Black Electrical Worker Kyrin Taylor Says He Found Noose In His Workspace
HEMSPTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - A Black electrical worker on Long Island says he found a noose in his workspace and claims it was put there by two white co-workers.
Police are now investigating.
"I don't think this has anything to do with electric," said Kyrin Taylor.
On Tuesday, Taylor, 23, an apprentice electrician at Cooper Power and Lighting Corp found a noose right next to his workspace.
"I instantly felt anger. I felt scared. I felt like my life was in danger. I didn't know what to really do, to be honest," Taylor said.
He recorded video of what happened and called his union, IBEW. A representative showed up later that day.
"Do you have a camera in there? Do you know who tied it? Because I'm pretty pissed off about that, and I want to talk to the person who did it," the union rep said.
Taylor also called the police, something he says his boss at Cooper Power didn't like. He captured the exchange on his cell phone.
"You should have called me. You should have told me five minutes before you called the police," his boss purportedly said.
That exchange drove Taylor to seek legal representation.
"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.
Taylor's attorney Frederick Brewington says there's no mistake about what happened here.
"You can see the size of the noose. It's large enough to go around a person's neck," Brewington said.
He says the Suffolk County Police Department's bias unit is investigating. Meanwhile, the local NAACP says this sort of thing has a ripple effect.
"It's not just one person. It's their family members, it's their friends who are also involved. It's their neighbors who are also affected," said Rev. Saba Mchunguzi of the Central Long Island Branch NAACP.
Taylor's lawyer says they're considering federal charges with the hope of bringing about some change.
We reached out to the local IBEW, along with Cooper Power and Lighting, and have not yet heard back.
Kevin Rincon contributed to this report.
