The Great Clown Panic of 2016 spread even further across the American South, making appearances in the state of Tennessee.
Tennessee police issued this warning against clowns via Twitter:
THP says watch for clowns trying to lure children in to the woods. They are possibly predators. Call 911 or *847
Excellent photo, Alas, it wasn't from a crime scene, at least not one in state, according to a followup tweet:
The clowns pic wasn't a photo taken in TN, it's a photo circulated via social media. We're promoting awareness. This has been reported in TN
Yesterday Tennessee police arrested a man for making clown-themed threats.
Coffee County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lucky Knott told News 2 a man called the Coffee County Communications Center’s non-emergency line and identified himself as “the clown who has been threatening children.”
The man became lewd and told the dispatcher he was going to harm children.
He also allegedly told her that he would kidnap her and children, cut their ears off and conduct other lewd acts.
Meanwhile, in Kentucky, police arrested a lurking clown:
Police in Middlesboro, Kentucky have arrested a “lurking clown” that they say was crouching in the woods near an apartment complex in a full mask and costume.
The police department had received multiple complaints about the clown from several areas within the city, and were finally able locate and capture the masked menace Friday night.
Jonathan Martin, 20, has now been charged with disorderly conduct and “wearing a mask in a public place” according to local media.
This unfolding social panic seems to give some people a form for expressing otherwise hidden desires. It's a classic real-life Gothic tale, in other words.
(thanks to Jesse Walker and Chris Lott)
Comments