Laurel Cooper • The Daily Beacon
Legal action can be taken against false clown sightings Alex Holcomb
Contributor Sightings, threats and worries of presumably violent clowns have been reported in Knoxville. Although the clowns have not yet done anything illegal, there have been threats posted
Volume 132 Issue 32
through social media. “I think you’ve got this whole social media thing that the media has picked up on,” Knoxville Chief of Police David Rausch said. “And now you’ve got people who’ve unfortunately, for whatever reason, are stepping into this and trying to get attention.”
Some threats on social media have resulted in arrest and sightings have been reported, but no KPD officer has actually seen a clown. “We’ve had people call in with alleged sightings, but we have yet to confirm any of those,” Rausch said. Police are beginning to stress the legal
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ramifications for calling the police department about a false clown sighting. In Tennessee, someone who reports falsely could be charged with a Class D felony that carries a maximum sentencing of 15 years in prison and possibly $10,000 in fines. See CLOWNS on Page 2
Monday, October 3, 2016