A man was apprehended on Friday by Winchester police for dressing as the iconic character 'The Joker' from "The Dark Knight" and carrying a sword in a public place. The man named Jeremy Putman, 31, was seen wearing powder white face with cracks and crevices, dark eye shadow and creepy large smile with red lipstick on the road of Winchester.
According to Huffington Post, the officers received several reports around 2:00 PM of a suspicious person dressing as a clown villain with a sword in his hand. Upon reaching the scene, the officers were less worried about the weapon and put the main focus on Putman's face that imitated Batman's arch rival. The police quickly arrested the man and slapped him with a felony charge of the strict mask law of the state that restricts almost any person to conceal their faces in public with any kind of mask, hood, and device.
In a report by ABC News, police had received similar reports for over the last week, which they now believe to be the same person. It may seem surprising to some that how wearing a mask in public could result in a felony, but the police said they wanted to remind the community of the seriousness of the crime.
According to Virginia Code 12.2-422, "It shall be unlawful for any person over 16 years of age, with an intent to conceal his identity, wear any mask, hood or other device, hiding a substantial portion of the face in a public place or private property without obtaining the permission of the owner in writing." Putman was sent to the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center under a $2000 secured bond. There isn't any confirmation if the 31-year-old has an attorney to defend.