NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Saturday, Officials from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released images of the person they say is responsible for a bomb scare in south Nashville Friday. At the time of the robbery, he wore a dreadlock wig, tan crochet hat, large sunglasses and a mask.
Officials said road flares and wires were inside a package that forced business evacuations and road closures during Friday's evening commute.
Members of the Metro Bomb Squad were called to a check cashing store in South Nashville after a robbery suspect told employees he was going to blow up the building.
The incident happened at Auto Titles of Tennessee at 406 Thompson Lane Friday afternoon. Witnesses said the suspect came into the business wearing a wig and demanded money.
Officials from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said the suspect made threats to blow up the building. Employees complied with the man's demands, but the suspect placed a suspicious item on the counter before fleeing scene.
After the suspect left, the workers evacuated the building and called police.
Crews with the bomb squad were called to the scene to determine the nature of the item.
Thompson Lane was shut down between Nolensville Road and Louise Street while officers from the Metro Bomb Squad and Metro Police worked to contain the scene.
A bomb robot was sent into the store to give officials a closer look. Investigators were able to determine the package contained three road flares wrapped up in tape and wire. They said the device was completely harmless.
"There was no means of detonating the device, so it was a fake device from the beginning," said Robert Skinner with Metro Police. "The road flares themselves would have only been minimumly, minimumly explosive."
There were three employees and a customer inside the store when the robbery took place.
Officials said the suspect was a black male. No other description was provided.
The robbery was very similar to one in Lebanon just one week before where a suspect robbed a cash express store and left a box behind there.
