PIQUA — Piqua police had to respond today to a clown in the middle of a roadway.
Police were called around 12:43 p.m. to the 400 block of East Ash Street, where an officer found a mannequin dressed as a clown in the street, said Piqua police Lt. Marcos Rodriquez.
The mannequin’s owner was nearby, and he told the officer he was a professional clown and thought it would be funny to put the clown mannequin in the street. The officer ordered him to move it off the roadway, the lieutenant said.
A viewer posted a photo of the clown-dressed mannequin to the WHIO-TV Facebook page. It shows the clown with three balloons and holding a sign that reads: “Clown Lives Matter.” The clown had been moved to a sidewalk by the time the photo was taken.
Rodriguez said there were no other clown-related incidents reported Saturday, but in recent days there have been reports of creepy clowns in the area. A 15-year-old Fairborn High School student was arrested Friday after police said he used a clown persona online to threaten to kill students.
If a person, whether dressed as a clown or not, is seen and causes concern, area police said they will respond.
Professional clown Doug Griffin of Miami County, also known as Feel N. Lucky the Happy Hobo Clown, said it’s sad people are using clowns to scare people. “Clowns should be happy,” he said earlier this week.
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