Bracing for Scary Clowns in Miami

Halloween may have come and gone, but the threat of eerie killer clowns is still a recurring nightmare for some, particularly in Miami where residents have come to expect the unexpected.

That may explain why Miami police have already gotten thousands of views of their informational “Killer Clown Miami” video since posting it on the department’s website last month and on YouTube under a similar name, "Killer Clown Prank."

The short video opens with a mom and her young son in a wooded area when they are confronted by someone wearing a rubber clown mask and brandishing a bloody kitchen knife.

In the dramatization, the clown lunges after the mother and child, hollering: “It’s a joke. It’s a joke. It’s a joke. It’s a joke.” The video featured shaky camera effects and creepy background music.

But, this clown turned out to be a Miami police officer with a scary message.

“Obviously, this clown sighting was just simply put on to show you how these pranks can have serious — or even tragic endings,” he tells the audience. “Across the country, there’s been clown sightings where they’ve locked down schools and even some incidents, people have gotten hurt.”

The officer warns that such pranks may have unintended consequences.

“First off, you could be arrested for these pranks,” he said. “Second, if somebody gets injured as a result of your prank, you could be sued. And third, the person that you are pranking might take measures into their own hands to defend themselves — and you could wind up getting hurt.”

The video shows nearly 60,000 views on YouTube and another 38,000 on the police website.

Acknowledging scary clown sightings in Florida and other states, the officer concludes the video by reminding Miami residents that scary clown pranks are being taken seriously by law enforcement.

“So, if you plan on doing these pranks, don’t,” he explained. “It might not end up as funny as you think.”