After 11-year-old hits a clown with selfie stick, police issue warning to creepy clowns

Are creepy clowns back again?

The Volusia County, Fla. Sheriff's Department issued a warning Tuesday on Facebook to all “evil clowns and anyone considering creepy clown activity” after an 11-year-old told police he was chased by a clown who tried to grab him.

The boy told police that while he was riding his bicycle on Friday, a person dressed as a clown jumped out from behind a light pole and chased him, according to the Facebook post.

The boy told police that the clown attempted to grab him and “out of self defense,” the boy hit the clown multiple times with a selfie stick, the sheriff’s office said in the Facebook post. Police clarified that the clown never made physical contact with the boy, but the boy was fearful the clown would hurt him, which counted as self-defense.

“Warning to evil clowns and anyone considering creepy clown activity: We will not be there to save you if your intended target defends himself or herself, and you may face other penalties as well,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.

The boy said the clown was wearing a full costume with a rubber nose and “blue clown hair.” Deputies searched the scene and did not find anyone dressed as a clown.

The warning comes a year after last fall’s uptick in clown sightings and crimes across the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida. Police departments across the United States reported an increase in clown-related incidents and reports.

In Florida, it’s illegal to conceal one’s identity with a mask on private or public property – so technically dressing up as a clown is illegal.

This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 2:44 PM with the headline "After 11-year-old hits a clown with selfie stick, police issue warning to creepy clowns."