The clown made no threats — just ran at her in the 100 block of Skokiaan Drive, the caller said.
The clown was wearing white and red clothes and a plastic mask, the caller said.
“We want to discourage people from scaring people that they don’t know,” said Franklin Police Chief Russ Whitman. “It’s childish and could be dangerous for everyone involved.”
Officers did check the area and did not locate the suspect, police said.
The woman told the Journal-News that she felt as though she was about to be robbed by the suspected clown.
Whitman said if a clown or suspicious person charges at someone that person is able to defend themselves.
“That person has a right to protect themselves from that perceived danger,” Whitman said “You come towards me or my family and I’m going to make sure that that threat no longer exists.”
Reports of creepy clowns have been popping up across the country recently.
“Anytime there is a trend, we are going to take note of it and be prepared,” Whitman said.
In Gallatin County, Ky., the sheriff said he consulted with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security after a clown threat kept half of students home from county schools Tuesday.
The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department announced Wednesday via Facebook that they believed they had identified the person responsible for sending the school threats, but the investigation was ongoing.
The Brookville Police Department recently had a call from a group of children reporting a clown running around in the local woods near their home. The police walked a short distance into the woods, looking for a potential suspect, but only found Halloween masks.
Early Tuesday a man in Greenville reported he was chased down by two people dressed as clowns with white painted faces.
The victim in the Greenville incident reported having been hit in the neck and side by the suspects, and the baseball bat he was carrying was allegedly stolen, police said.
Darke County Sheriff Toby Spencer took to his personal Facebook page to post a message to potential clown suspects. His message said in part, “For you that think it’s funny to dress up as a clown, scare drivers on dark roadways … as of today we have issued 6,125 CCW permits in Darke County alone … you might also ask yourself how your luck will be today.”
Our news partner WCPO 9 On Your Side contributed to this report.
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