LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — Police in southern Alberta are being investigated after a restaurant worker in a Star Wars stormtrooper costume who was carrying a plastic gun was forced to the ground and ended up with a bloody nose.
Whalen said the 19-year-old employee of the Star Wars-themed restaurant had agreed to carry a toy blaster and wear the elaborate white uniform of the soldier of the Galactic Empire to get the attention of people celebrating May 4. The day is popular among fans of the movie franchise because of the famous line, “may the force be with you.”
But Whalen said that the stormtrooper helmet makes it hard to hear and to be heard. It also makes it difficult to move, let alone to kneel or get down on your stomach. Whalen said this may have caused a delay in the employee getting on the ground. A video of the encounter, shared on social media, shows an officer standing by the blaster while Whalen yells from the restaurant door that it’s fake.
Police Chief Scott Woods has reviewed the file and received additional information, including the online video, the police release said. He has directed a service investigation into the officers’ conduct and whether they acted appropriately.Whalen said he’s been contacted by lawyers and is looking at different options.
Amazing that cops like that are allowed to carry real guns, they seem to have no common sense at all, I mean checking her out is one thing, but the arrest was totally stupid...no words to explain this....real heros
They got a call of a person with a gun.... they didnt know if they were dealing with someone with mental health issues.
lethpolice I did not think the thing Canada would import from the USA was our Police Departments. This is some fucking sad shit to see.
Incompetent police officers. Plain and simple. They should be sent home for the rest of the month and required to take mandatory re-training.
Police Chief Scott Woods needs to have an investigation to see if they acted incorrectly... Is he stupid?
Absolutely disgraceful overreaction. There is much to answer for here
Imagine being so stupid you cannot tell a fake costume gun from a teenager dressed up. Canada is a joke.
.Fucking redcoats are useless. To hell with tyrants. 🔥🔥🔥
Taking the gun ban to whole new levels. Dumbest cops ever.
Who are the real stormtroopers, not the young woman in the white fake space armour IMHO.
Police can be so f’en stupid!
They wnet in expecting this, and lost control of their frustrated hormones when all they saw was a 'standard' Stormtrooper.
Sad - May the 4th did not register and we trust him with a gun - did not Trudeau just announce idiots should not have guns - even in uniform?
Omg what’s next, arresting kids on Halloween. That poor girl. I hope she sues.
hopefully these 3 officers are going home to a galaxy far far away so we all safe from idiots officers
Its very sad, we are better then this!
That person who made the call is the scum of the earth.
WTF is wrong with Lethbridge Police?! They should be ashamed.
These overly aggressive acts by police are a wakeup call for police forces. Individual officers who use this crisis to bully citizens should be reassigned to a desk job. We aren't living in China.
They dropped all the sensible requirements for hiring cops, (physical, big, capable) and now half of them are useless against any real threat and target kids in costumes.
Jesus Lethbridge!
Meanwhile in Toronto police hiding behind cars and skirting an assailant smashing her car? Diversity is bullshit, political correctness is back firing this country is going to shit any way you slice it.
Almost ashamed to be Canadian.
Dress like the imperial army and meet the real imperial army 🤷🏻♂️
The grammar! They didn't take her down at gunpoint to promote the restaurant. Idiot cops with no brains assaulted innocent staffer, dressed up as FAMOUS MOVIE CHARACTER...
I usually stick up for Police. NOT now!! This is absolutely DESPICABLE and INEXCUSABLE!!
I would be so embarrassed if I was the chief of that police force... what a fail
This Covid thing has made law enforcement right down to city by law officers crazy! Power Hungry. And just think our PM is taking away guns! God help us all
Good to see that from coast to coast to coast, the cops are all inept failures. At least all the PD’s are consistent.
I want some “Jabba the Gut” pizza 🍕 now.
I have one of those full body plastic stormtrooper costume. You can’t get down to the ground, very restrictive mobility.
AustinGrabish My heart breaks for this girl. Probably trying to make some extra money during a pandemic and finds herself in the most terrifying place of her life. HamillHimself
I wonder are plastic storm trooper blasters on the ban list ?
HamillHimself
Sad to see something like this happen. Some people need to just take a breath and relax, not everything is out to get you ffs. What's next a 7 year old being arrested for carrying a (brightly coloured plastic) water pistol? Smh.
It's sad that it's come to this, but who the hell knows what the police encounter that makes them overreact to ensure their safety?
Over the top response. These officers were our of line and out of touch.
WTH is wrong with these cops!
wouldn't hit anything with the plasma pistol anyway.
This is the same police force that ran over a deer numerous times instead of calling animal services.
Correction she was 17. Start telling the entire story.
This is the new normal for policing. A culture of fear, cops ramped up into constant terror in one of the safest countries in the world, and internal problems like rampant steroid abuse, these all impact decision making. PDs are also the most resistant cultures to change.
These are the times we live in...police state...
joe_warmington Why would one expect a cop to be smarter than lets say countries PM.
Direct result of the radical left wing and their hatred towards guns and gun owners. No common sense left in this country with TrudeauDictatorship
I know one thing if I was a good cop . I’d be scared . Good cops dress like the bad cops . You can only push people so far.
joe_warmington Hey lethpolice, 'these are not the droids you are looking for' I'm thinking you guys need to unbutton the top button on your shirts. You're not getting blood to your brains. You really should be embarrassed
Sadly, manhandling a 19 year old girl isn't a new low for Lethbridge Police. ableg abpoli drumpfifacation Disturbing video shows Lethbridge, Alberta police officer repeatedly running over wounded deer
Have the police officers been fired yet?
OMG, that must have been one of those scary ghost guns the government banned
It’s not Canada anymore. The division fear hate is insane. Liberals are at the core of all of it.
She’ll be frozen in carbonite to be delivered to Jason the Hutt.
They same police force that runs over animals, repeatedly.
Canada is lost
What a God dam joke. Too bad nothing is going to happen to the police. Just a bunch of idiots.
Put the cock in jail for assault, add a breach of trust because he's a peace officer. Then charge him with everything internal that he's got coming to him abpoli ableg
Every single example of being a bad cop is on display for the world to see. The cops that assaulted the 19 year old woman should seek work more appropriate to their skill set: Bottle-picker.
Note how the police on scene pull the SUV around to begin their coverup. The police states 1st responsibility is to protect the police state.
WOW Great job lethpolice you are now on the front page of many many newspapers for being dickheads.
Honestly seeing more brave women than men out there lately. Where are all those loud, gun toting internet boys? Y'all got more means and more muscle, maybe go out there and help? Complaining online is doing fuckall to end these lockdowns...
This is the stupidest police moment in Canadian history.
We are very close to be consider commie state. They let Native burn rail tracks, stop trains, causing billions of dollars damage to our economy, which according to our dictator Trudeau is fine, but they arrest someone who wants to have fun and doesn't cause any serious problems
I predict we are watching future dog catchers or police station janitorial staff at work lol
That is bad. Three squad cars being tied up for something so stupid. What has happened to common sense?
Take their jobs.. FFS this is retarded
What's illegal for thee is fine for me
To all the cop haters, somebody called it in as a firearm. They didn’t jumped to conclusion. Remember somebody dressed as an officer just killed in N.S./ to the Post. Poor headline guys, should read Leathbridge, Alberta doesn’t have provincial police
This is how lethpolice serve and protect the country by taking down a 19 year old entertainer dressed as a storm trooper with a toy blaster on Star Wars day! Shame! 👎
I once read a study that shows most douches that were bullies in high school became cops afterwards. This is either straight up bullying, or a reason why a basic intelligence test needs to be added to the police application process. I mean, a stormtrooper. C'mon.
At least the storm trooper is wearing a mask
Boy this Halloween should be a lot fun. OH’ what am I saying,Trudeau will end that too. Looking forward in seeing the list of toy guns he bans. By Christmas we’ll be down to spit balls.
Now who are the storm troopers? I guess they weren’t Star Wars fans either.
What’s the price of a dark empire take down 🥪 gonna be a Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina?
Embarrassing, I wonder how they handle Halloween
Fucking clickbait, 'take down' usually means kill someone, not arrest someone...
joe_warmington What the hell is with the police in Alberta. I just watch the cop harassing the SGT. and her support animal, and then he impounds her car the next day. Now this.
This is related to the growing authoritarianism of Gov during the pandemic. It trickles down and swells tiny brains.
She had a bad feeling about this....
This photo is Canada 🇨🇦 in one photo; under the rule of the looters.
Holy Toledo. Honestly these cops should lose their badges since it's probably dangerous to have them handle guns given how absolutely idiotic they are. Cops should have to pass an IQ test before arming them
You better hope DarthVader doesn’t catch wind of this
Canadian police are a embarrassment
Good. She should be thrown in prison for 10 years.
knowing police response she is lucky to be alive!!
joe_warmington Lmao....I think the cops in Alberta are losing their marbles. Last week picking on an army service dog and handler, this week a lonely stormtrooper. WTF
MayTheFourthBeWithYou Alberta Police jkenney We owe our lives to the Alberta police force for saving us from the Stormtropper who could have taken over the world! StarWars
ROTFLMFAO! Thanks for saving as from that stormtropper! Without the Alberta police, Darth Vader and the Dark Lord may have taken over Alberta! I feel so much safer now! MayTheFourthBeWithYou jkenney
Albertuh. Albertuh. Albertuuuuhhhh. Imma albertuhn. I gots no brains but I gots me a shiney badge and gun. Huh huh yee haw.
joe_warmington lethpolice I hope you know you are the joke all around the country today...
I usually stand up for police but this is sheer stupidity, power hungry crap. Suspenions should happen.
From RCMP to Calgary to Edmonton where the police try to steal service dogs, the police are a waste of oxygen and skin. They have waited decades to be assholes, and they are proving it every day.
joe_warmington But to be fair, I think her plastic, fake taser is on Trudeau's banned weapons list.
joe_warmington Which one is the stormtrooper?
They pointed a pistol, shotgun and AR at this poor girl. They should be ashamed of themselves and should be fired. On this occasion thankfully no one got hurt but next time they could kill someone!
This is Officer Farva level dumb
Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina...You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. MayThe4thBeWithYou StarWarsDay
Stupid police state... is Alberta a fascist dictatorship? Why not cops with brains instead of guns
'Alberta police'
The police acted irresponsibly.
These cops have to be absolutely stupid.
I didn't know there was an Alberta Police Force. Perhaps don't slam Alberta at every chance you get. Bought and paid for media.
Albert's police hey.... kinda weird you literally went out of your way to say Alberta instead of calgary. .. kinda paints Alberta in a negative light wouldn't you think? ... ohhhhhh I see what you did there
Even if her gun was real, she wouldn't be able to hit anything but the wall.
May the 4th was not with her perhaps!!
Cops running out of people to beat?
Well at least they didn’t fine her for not wearing a mask.
When the real empire shows up.
Joke, fire the officers involved they have no business being policeman
I hope she gets danger pay.
But, I don't understand! Didn't the PM banned assault firearms? She couldn't have possibly had one after that date! Right? This is how it's working no ?
Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina. Lethbridge. Wow.
If this what happens on May the 4th, imagine what Halloween will be like.
HamillHimself The dark side does exist!
Has he never seen Star Wars? Imperial Stormtroopers can't hit a damn thing with a blaster.
May the excessive force be with you.
Yah the video is NoT a good look for our police.
Lethbridge elected Shannon Phillips the NDP ecoFascist crony of union stooge Rachel Notley. No surprise that the cops there leap at any opportunity to bust skulls.
The restaurant's owner is the one to blame, that restaurant need to be taken down for good. Ppl just started to eat healthier food at home and save some money.
Watch the video even after they had the toy gun they were ridiculous and should be suspended.
LOL wow. I mean this is just pathetic. Vader would’ve used force choke on whomever told those officers to humiliate that person.
I guess there was no injured deer to run over that day...
Excessive, for sure; but didnt some other guy in costume just shoot up NS a couple of weeks ago? Either way, the cops can’t win.
Insane...have cops lost their common sense?!
Can you blame them? Look at the state of the world we’re living in? If they didn’t and some kid got shot in the face.....well, I guess we’d still be shitting in them.
WTF
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