A Murfreesboro, Tennessee, man’s improvised pair of rubber bumpers attached to his car door were mistaken for bombs Tuesday, leading nearby buildings to be evacuated by police.

The bumpers were attached to the passenger doors of the car via wires attached to suction cups, and were wrapped in white cloth and duct tape, the Murfreesboro Police Department said in a release. The bumpers were meant to prevent dents.

Several people called 911 about the car parked in a restaurant lot Tuesday morning, leading police to evacuate all the other buildings in the shopping center for nearly two hours. Schools in the area were also put on lockdown.

“They told us there was a bomb threat and basically screamed at us to get out of the building,” evacuee Leslie Huggins told WKRN-TV.

After searching the car’s tags, a police supervisor contacted the driver, who was standing with fellow evacuees across the street, unaware that his bumpers had caused all the commotion. 

A Tennessee Highway Patrol unit came and examined the car before giving the all clear.

Police said the man will not be charged. 

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.