Lethbridge’s Chief of Police has directed a service investigation into the actions of several officers after a widely publicized incident involving a woman in a Storm Trooper costume.
Police say they responded to two 911 calls Monday morning reporting a person in costume was carrying a firearm along the 500 block of 13th street north.
Upon police arrival, the woman dropped the weapon, which was later confirmed to be fake, but she didn’t immediately comply with police directions to get down on the ground reportedly due to the restrictiveness of her costume.
The woman suffered a minor injury when witnesses say she was pushed to the ground and handcuffed.
She then told officers she was an employee of Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina and was out in costume promoting the theme restaurant.
The woman was not charged.
The service investigation, under the Alberta Police Act, will look into whether the three responding officers acted appropriately within the scope of their training and LPS policies and procedures.
A YouTube video of the incident has been widely shared on social media.