A suspicious bag was detonated by police bomb technicians Tuesday night outside the Salvation Army at 400 W. Main Ave.

A bag was left in a room by a homeless man who allegedly told a Salvation Army worker he was returning to Iraq because he hated the United States, according to a Bowling Green Police Department report. The report did not specify what kind of bag it was.

The man left the bag and cigarettes at The Salvation Army even though he had been told not to by Salvation Army workers, according to the report. When someone looked inside the bag, wires were visible.

Kentucky State Police and the Owensboro Police Department Hazardous Devices Unit were called to assist with the bag, said Owensboro Sgt. George Ballard.

The bag was removed from the building and then detonated, he said.

“Any time a suspicious package is found, we use counter techniques as a safety measure for us,” Ballard said. Counter techniques in this instance means detonating the item in a controlled environment to minimize risks.

The contents of the bag were searched and found to not be harmful, he said. It’s rare that a suspicious bag is found to have harmful material, he said.

“We take all these cases very seriously,” Ballard said. “We always assume the worst until it’s proven otherwise. All it takes is for it to not be taken seriously one time for someone to get hurt.”

The Bowling Green police did an excellent job of assisting the bomb technicians with the situation, Ballard said.

The Salvation Army and about a block around the building was evacuated, he said.

The man who left the bag at The Salvation Army returned and stated he had gone to a store, according to the city police report.

The man stated he could not find an automated teller machine to get money, according to the report. He also stated his return was delayed because he stopped walking during heavy rain.

The man stated the only item in his bag that would have had an electrical wire was his electric razor, according to the report. The man also denied stating he hated America.

The man was questioned by police and released, according to the report.