East Grand Rapids man finds noose in front yard

Wood TV 8 ^ | Aug 26, 2006 09:38 PM

[Number57]

East Grand Rapids- A man is looking for answers after finding what he says is a noose hanging from a tree in his front yard.

F. Slacks Springer says he has lived in East Grand Rapids for 30 years. He has been in his current home for three years. He says he has never had any problems, until Friday. Thats when Springer woke up and found what appears to be a noose hanging from the tree in his front yard. Springer is African-American, and says the meaning is clear.

"It is what it is. You can't call it any other thing, but what it represents," Springer tells 24 Hour News 8.

A detective from the East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety is investigating, but is not yet ready to say the incident is racially motivated.

"Our initial impression might be that a child threw it up over the tree for a swing." says Detective Eric Conklin. He points out knots higher on the rope which could be used as handles, and says the loop at the bottom could be for a child's foot. "I can definitely see his concern being in his tree and the possible meaning behind it," Conklin adds. Investigators are taking the incident seriously and are conducting a full investigation.

"They may come up with something. If they do, good. If they don't, I just don't want it to happen again," says Springer.

[Number57]

"Our initial impression might be that a child threw it up over the tree for a swing." says Detective Eric Conklin. He points out knots higher on the rope which could be used as handles, and says the loop at the bottom could be for a child's foot."

[Number57]

Outlaw rope swings.

[tallhappy]

Is it a noose or not?

Or knot?

[presently no screen name]

Rope swings are the new offense.

[ET(end tyranny)]

If it's a rope swsing, he should be glad no one was hurt on his property. They'd probably sue him, even though it wouldn't have been his fault.

[P-40]

Is it a noose or not?

It sounds like a simple climbing rope that we used as kids.

[Bronzewound]

Is it a noose or not?

How high was the loop off the ground?

[Doctor Stochastic]

Check the antlers. Maybe it's a nelk.

[Bronzewound]

A noose bit my sister.

[lightman]

Time to sack the people writing those subtitles.

[RegulatorCountry]

Even in back in the segregated, Democratic south, such a threat, placed in a person's yard, would not have occurred at random. If Mr. Springer is aware of anyone who would want to shake him up badly, to threaten him, or even odd, threatening telephone calls, I'd consider this a serious matter. Otherwise, it's a very unfortunate-looking rope swing, or maybe even a rope ladder to climb the tree ... kids, in other words.

[NonValueAdded]

A noose bit my brother

[ApplegateRanch]

Thank the Good Lord that it wasn't a tire swing; that could be construed as a threat to "necklace" him.

[Number57]

When can our kids play like we did?

Those days are behind us, I'm afraid.

[Texas Eagle]

Probably another one of those staged "hate crimes".

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

I'm outta here, there's too much cheese on this thread, plus my beeber is stuned.

[P-40]

When can our kids play like we did?

I sometimes wonder if they would know how to. We had zero dollars but had no shortage of imagination that we could spend however we wanted. Then again, on a hike through some local woods we discovered a 'ball park' some kids had made and it looked well used.

[Number57]

Cheese?

'splain, Lucy

[billhilly]

A moose in western Michigan? Who would have thunk that?

[Number57]

I was raised by parents who (rightly so) wanted to be left alone for an hour our two after coming home from work. "Get out" was as kind as they'd be when shuffling us out the back door.

Was that wrong?

I used to play with dirt and sticks and (GASP) kids from the neighborhood.