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Members of the sheriff's office were called over the weekend to a home in Dunkirk, where there were reports from local homeowners about a "human-shaped object (that) had been seen hanging from a tree in the front yard of a residence."
According to the Calvert County Sheriff's Office, "concerned citizens initially believed the object to be a racially-motivated statement, causing alarm in the community."
Detectives were able to make contact with the homeowner, who advised that his family had decorated for Halloween, and the questionable decoration was part of a larger display that was put up "in the spirit of the holiday."
Before detectives arrived, officials say that a family member "realized the negative perception of the object hanging from the tree," then "promptly removed it and placed it on the ground."
Other neighbors not directly involved in the incident confirmed that they had seen the object in various locations around the yard for the past two weeks.
"The homeowner requested to speak with the concerned neighbors, apologized for the misunderstanding, and extended an open invitation to his home if they wished to discuss the incident further," officials said.
Following the investigation, the Calvert County State's Attorney's Office was consulted, and the case was closed and "determined to be an unfortunate misunderstanding resulting from a Halloween decoration."
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