Noose-Shaped Rope In Fair Lawn Tree Caused By Wind, Police Say

FAIR LAWN, NJ — A Fair Lawn Police investigation has determined that a rope found in a residential tree appearing to be tied in a noose is similar to those used by utility companies, and that its shape was formed by the wind, not a person with ill-intent.

Mayor Kurt Peluso to this point has rejected that it was purely coincidence that the wind seemingly formed a noose on a tree outside the home of a black woman flying a Black Lives Matter flag.

To Kelli McCloud, the two sides depict a town, police department and community who care enough about her to take it seriously.

McCloud, a local business owner who lives at the home where the rope was found, posted a photo to social media Saturday night after finding the rope in her tree.

She told Patch Tuesday that she feels comfortable with the findings of the investigation, but is also happy the mayor is open to having an honest conversation about race in America.

According to authorities, the rope found at McCloud's home was similar in size to twine, and detectives located similar materials tying cables together near the borough residence. Police believe that the loop in the rope — which created a similar shape to a noose — was "formed by the twine having been twisted in the wind."

Police said they believe the rope found in the tree had been attached to overhead cables in the area, but were possibly detached during windy conditions Saturday evening.

"Based on the totality of the circumstances, Fair Lawn Police is confident that this was not a deliberate act," police officials said.

Peluso isn't so sure.

Though police said they were able to confirm with utility companies that the rope in question is consistent with those employees regularly use, they weren't able to confirm who was responsible for tying it in the area, or when it was placed there.

Peluso said he independently spoke with Altice-Optimum, PSE&G and Verizon, all of whom said the rope was not theirs. Additionally, Peluso said he walked the neighborhood after seeing the photo and "could not find any rope attached to any wires."

"Every utility company has stated it’s not theirs, Altice/Optimum, Verizon, and PSE&G. The report by the police doesn’t name a company. There is no rope on anyone else’s property, just one tied in a loop, hanging on a tree, in the front lawn of a black woman’s house with a Black Lives Matter flag," said Peluso, in an email to Patch.

After the rope was found hanging from a tree in the borough over the weekend, many Fair Lawn residents and officials voiced outrage and concern, but weren't at all shocked by what they believed to be a noose.

However, many also reached out to McCloud, offering support, and even volunteering to camp out at her home in order to provide extra security, she said.

"I’m so glad that it wasn’t anything, but had it been something I would have still felt secure because I would have known that the town had my back," she said.

In a Facebook post Sunday, Peluso said he was "absolutely disgusted, but not surprised" when he saw the photo on social media.

Peluso, who was criticized by some in 2020 that said his condemnation of the Proud Boys and "Thin Blue Line" flag were divisive, pointed to these instances as reasons why this noose was unsettling, but not unexpected.

The Proud Boys were present at a pro-police rally last August in Fair Lawn which became contentious when the group of demonstrators came into contact with a small group of counter-protesters. Police in riot gear separated the two sides, but plenty of unpleasantries couldn't be stopped by the human barrier.

Proud Boys were present again at a rally for President Donald Trump in early November, which sparked Peluso to declare that members of the group "should never feel welcomed in our community."

"In the past year I have seen: the Proud Boys march in Fair Lawn twice and when I speak up against it I hear it’s not a big deal, or I went out to lunch with them and they were nice people; when a former council candidate wears a 3% mask I’m told it was just a joke; when black and brown residents spoke up at a council meting and said they feel treated differently, others in the audience had to speak down to them and tell them that racism doesn’t exist; when we have events meant to bring everyone together alternative flags have to be present too and when I speak up against it I’m anti this and that," he wrote.

View his full post here:

Though Peluso is again facing criticism from some residents on social media, McCloud doesn't believe he or police did anything wrong throughout the process.

McCloud believes in the police findings, and feels comfortable in saying that she wasn’t a victim, but she also supports the mayor’s message that racism and bigotry won’t be tolerated in Fair Lawn.

"The message that the mayor sent out was something that should be heard, not just by this town but by everybody. We really don’t have room for all of that hate and bigotry. That message is universal whether this was happening or not," she said.

Further, McCloud's faith in her community has been reaffirmed after the outpouring of support she received from her fellow residents, familiar and otherwise.

"What we all need to take away from this is that a resident of this town felt threatened by something, and the town came to their aid," she said. "We should all be happy that we live in a town like this, to where, if somebody is threatened by something, that the town is going to rally around them."