CROOKSTON, Minn. - Amid a national wave of menacing clown sightings, a 15-year-old wearing a clown costume and mask was arrested Saturday night in Crookston after police found a "large kitchen/butcher style" knife on him.
The arrest came after Crookston police responded to the Taco John's restaurant in town at 8:30 p.m. on a report of an 11-year-old who had been chased by three or four people, one of whom was dressed as a clown, according to a news release.
The victim was in the area of Locken Boulevard and Memorial Drive when he came across the person dressed as a clown. He fled on his bike, and while on his way to Taco John's, he again encountered a person wearing clown paraphernalia.
The 11-year-old called his grandmother, who then called the police. About this time, the police had received several other reports of a person or persons dressed as clowns "in various parts of town standing in the street in the lane of traffic," the news release said.
Police located three juveniles-one 16-year-old female and two 15-year-old males-in the area of North Broadway and Fourth Avenue North. One of the males was wearing a clown costume and had a knife. It's not clear what charges that person is facing, and criminal charges are pending for all involved.
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Police said the investigation is active, but said they don't believe there is any further public safety concern over the incident.
The Crookston arrest is the latest incident in a nationwide trend of people dressed as clowns causing alarm. The Washington Post reported such sightings have caused school lockdowns and even a response from the World Clown Association condemning the so-called "scary clown" situation.
"The police department is urging all citizens, for the safety of the entire community, to not take part in this national clown phenomenon with incidents being reported in several states across the country," the news release said. "The Crookston Police Department warns the public that any incident of this type in which a person is frightened and in fear for their safety is a crime and will be investigated as such."
