Some Columbia residents may have been uneasy yesterday seeing a man dressed as a clown attempting to scare people on Broad Street and downtown, but he has not been arrested and has been deemed harmless by the Columbia Police Department.
Police Chief Michael Kelly countered Facebook posts that the clown had been arrested and said he has not been taken into custody, nor will he. Kelly could not divulge the clown’s identity for legal purposes and added that the police department’s investigation revealed the clown is only trying to have fun during the Halloween season.
“Even though he’s scaring people and making people nervous, it’s not against the law to dress up and walk on the public sidewalks,” Kelly said. “There’s not much we can do as far as the law. I’ve been getting calls since yesterday.”
The police chief added he will make efforts to have the clown tone it down a little bit.
