A Colorado man said his Christmas Vacation-inspired holiday decoration — a dummy hanging from his roof — led concerned onlookers to call 911.
Chris Olson of Boulder said the decoration, a dummy hanging off the side of the house in the style of Chevy Chase character Clark Griswold in the Christmas classic, was initially intended as a prank to trick his wife, but she found out about the dummy before he had time to put up the display.
“My dad was a big practical joker,” Olson told KUSA-TV. “So, I grew up with that whole kind of sense of humor.”
Olson said he decided to put up the dummy decoration anyway, and soon discovered it was even more convincing than he thought.
“[My family] heard this guy come running up and he’s like, ‘Sir! Sir! Can I help you, sir? Sir!'” Olson said. “And then he realized he’s not talking to a real person.”
Olson said the incident was followed up with a visit from emergency services when several witnesses called 911, believing there to be a man hanging from the roof of the home.
“I go, ‘Honey, the fire truck’s here! The fire department!'” Olson said laughing. “I go, ‘Oh, and there’s a police officer, and paramedics and everything!’ They all arrived. Boulder’s finest were here.”
Olson said he wasn’t ticketed or asked to take the dummy down. He said police seemed amused by the decoration.
Olson said he is considering leaving the dummy in place until after next Halloween.
