Man in clown mask arrested for wielding machete says it was prank

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- A one-armed Maine man accused of startling neighbors by going for a stroll wearing a clown mask and brandishing a machete says it was supposed to be a prank.

Thirty-one-year-old Hollis resident Corey Berry pleaded not guilty Wednesday to criminal threatening and weapons charges.

Police say Berry was intoxicated but cooperative when they arrested him last month. They say he had a machete taped to the stump of his amputated arm and was wearing a mask to copy previous clown sightings.

Police say Berry was first spotted in Hollis but then fled into the woods. They say he was taken into custody when he re-emerged.