Remember Port Hardy’s ‘creepy clown’ assault case?
Back in October, a then 19 year old Port Hardy resident reported to the RCMP that he had been walking on the trail between Seaview Drive and the Civic Centre, near the tennis courts, when he was accosted by a person wearing a clown mask. The resident told the RCMP that an altercation ensued, which resulted in the masked person being struck several times when a weapon was produced.
The RCMP spent a month investigating the incident, only to find the report was false and mislead police into an investigation, which expended a great deal of their time and resources.
“We take every report we receive seriously,” stated Cpl. Stuart Foster in a press release. “Investigations such as these, where there are no witnesses and allege a violent offence, are especially difficult and time consuming to investigate. In this particular case, specialized units outside of the Port Hardy Detachment had to be brought in to assist with the investigation, only to find that the allegations were fabricated. It is not only a waste of resources, it is a criminal offence, and one for which we will seek charges.”
Staff Sgt. Wes Olsen confirmed the matter is currently still before the court, but they have charged the Port Hardy resident with Public Mischief for making the story up and causing police to enter into an investigation knowing it was false.
