NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace responds to the FBI findings that the noose found by a crew member had been in the garage since last year and Wallace was not a victim of a hate crime.
"The FBI learned that garage number 4, where the noose was found, was assigned to Bubba Wallace last week. The investigation also revealed evidence, including authentic video confirmed by NASCAR, that the noose found in garage number 4 was in that garage as early as October 2019," the agency said in a statement Tuesday. "Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week."
"The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime," NASCAR said in a release after the findings. "The FBI report concludes, and photographic evidence confirms, that the garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose had been positioned there since as early as last fall."
On CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, Wallace said, “But from the evidence that we have, that I have. It’s a straight-up noose.”
“The FBI is stated it was a noose. Over and over again. NASCAR leadership has stated it was a noose. I can confirm that. I actually got evidence of what was hanging in my garage over my car. To confirm it was a noose,” he stated.
Wallace added, “It was a noose. Whether tied in 2019 or whatever. It was a noose. So it wasn’t directed to me. Somebody tied a noose. That’s what I’m saying. It is a noose.”