The Tennessee Highway Patrol deployed to Cookeville’s Willow Avenue Thursday after a driver reported a potential explosive device inside his car.
Cookeville Police Chief Scott Winfree said the motorist contacted emergency services after hearing a ticking or buzzing sound coming from the area of his dome light. The driver pulled into a parking lot to call 911 and reported that he believed there might be a bomb in the vehicle.
“What they have is a robot that can detect explosives,” Winfree said, “So the Highway Patrol came and they, cleared the vehicle. And of course we had to shut down Willow Avenue, because of this, to, you know, take the precautions just in case there was some type of explosive device.”
Winfree said the driver’s suspicion regarding the vehicle was influenced by recent family disputes or disagreements. Winfree said officers also conducted evacuations for businesses located in the immediate vicinity of the parked car.
“Once they cleared the vehicle, determined there was no explosive device in the vehicle, we opened Willow Avenue back up,” Winfree said.
While the exact duration of the road closure was not immediately available, Winfree said the Highway Patrol cleared the scene quickly once their equipment arrived.
“We are always going to err on the side of caution,” Winfree said. “Whenever we get a call like this we don’t know the history of the individuals involved. So if that threat or accusation’s made, we’re going to have to take it seriously and err on the side of caution.”
Winfree said the use of the robotic unit allowed the department to investigate the threat without placing personnel in danger.
“Being able to utilize their technology really helped speed this process up and if there had have been something it would have kept officers and responding personnel out of harm’s way,” Winfree said.
