BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- It's been one week since a rope tied into what appeared to be a noose was found hanging in a tree near a Brookfield neighborhood.

The family who reported it is African American.

Last Friday, 24-year-old Richard Shaw II was walking on Bluemound Road when he saw the noose hanging in the tree. His family called police and officers took down the rope as part of the investigation. 

"It was a world of emotion, I didn't know how to feel. I never in my life thought I would see something like that," said Richard Shaw II. 

Shaw's family lives near the tree and they say they don't feel safe. In a press conference on Friday, they called on Brookfield Police for a thorough investigation. 

"That noose became personal to us because we know the historical context of a noose," said Dr. Richard Shaw, a pastor at St. Matthew's Church. 

Brookfield Police say they take this incident very seriously and detectives are pursuing all leads and are open-minded to all potential motives. 

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