Nooses found at major DC construction site

WASHINGTON - A disturbing discovery was found at a construction site in D.C. last week.

An electrician's apprentice working on the massive wharf construction project in southwest walked off the job last Monday after finding two nooses on the work site. Terrell Powell says he quit after seeing the initial reaction from his immediate supervisor who didn't seem to take it seriously.

It all happened on the 7th floor of the wharf project, where Powell says he found the first noose hanging over a doorway at about 6:30 a.m. He immediately notified his supervisor who he says was only concerned about getting back to work. The noose was cut down and Powell says he went about his day.

However, when he found the second noose draped over a ladder he became deeply concerned for his safety, called some other friends on the job so they could see if for themselves and then finished his day and walked off the job.

Powell says he felt like he was being targeted even though he says there had been no trouble on the job.

"It was definitely frightening, I have been through a lot of things in my life but being tortured like that hanging nooses around me--you know there are several black people that work there but I feel like I was being targeted because what are the chances that one black man are going to find two nooses on the same day on the same job," Powell told FOX 5's Paul Wagner.

In a statement, the company said it does not tolerate this type of action on its projects. "Clark Construction is committed to maintaining a work environment that respects all employees and does not tolerate any action of this type on its projects," the statement read.

After a thorough investigation, the construction group determined that a subcontractor employee was involved in the incident and he was immediately terminated from the project, according to Matt Haas, the Vice President of Clark Construction Group, LLC.

The construction group says that they conducted a series of meetings with job site personnel to discuss the incident and to underscore Clark's zero tolerance policy for such action, which will result in immediate termination. Powell has since found a new job.