An incident with racial overtones has triggered an investigation in the quiet Loudoun County, Va., town of Hamilton.
Two white career firefighters are accused of placing a noose in the vehicle of an African-American coworker.
Residents of the small town, population 700, were surprised by the incident.
“If you ever watched The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry, that’s what this town is,” said resident Calvin Neal, who is also a retired firefighter. “Everybody knows everyone else. It's just a nice old town.”
It’s a town where, by all appearances, the old and the new exist peacefully side by side. But it's a vestige of the old that has some residents shaking their heads. Earlier this month, an African-American firefighter working at the Hamilton Public Safety Center found a noose in his parked car.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
"It really sounds strange for Loudoun County. Normally that doesn't happen,” said Robert Cote, a town resident. “This is probably, I think, one of the most liberal counties in the United States."
Authorities with the county fire department said two white career firefighters put the noose in the firefighter's car.
"I don't think there was any malice intended. I think probably it was a joke if anything. Firefighters are always pulling jokes on each other," said Neal, the retired firefighter.
It’s no laughing matter for those who've lived through an era when such incidents represented a very serious threat.
"I've been through that before and I know what it is,” said Lolita Robinson, an African-American who lives in Hamilton. “But hopefully things will get better. I pray to God it will."
This incident did not involve Hamilton volunteer personnel, and local authorities and residents doubt the culprits are Hamilton residents. A spokesperson for the Loudoun County Fire Department said the two accused firefighters have been placed in positions in which they don’t have any contact with the public while the investigation continues.
The mayor of Hamilton said he's spoken to the county fire chief and is confident the incident is being handled appropriately.
