Amazon has temporarily shut down construction of a new fulfillment center in Connecticut after the discovery of seven apparent nooses at the site.
Police in Windsor, Connecticut, say the nooses were found placed around the construction site starting on April 27. The police department said it is investigating the incidents as potential hate crimes along with the FBI’s civil rights division.
The company will temporarily shut down the site “at least until Monday” until more safety precautions can be put in place, Amazon representative Brad Griggs said during a press conference at the site on Thursday.
Amazon and its development partners are offering a $100,000 reward to anyone who can assist in identifying any perpetrator.
“Hate, racism, and discrimination have no place in our society, and certainly are not tolerated in any Amazon workplace, whether under construction like the building here behind us, or in our fully operational facilities,” Griggs said.
First noose found in area not covered by cameras
The first noose was reported on April 27. It was hanging from a steel beam in an area “accessible to hundreds of employees from various companies,” and not covered by surveillance cameras, Windsor police said in a press release, adding that the site safety team “documented the incident, removed and discarded the noose.”
