I don't think the Alberta police got the memo that Monday was STAR WARS Day because they took a Stormtrooper down to the ground for carrying a toy blaster.
A bar in Alberta, Canada was celebrating "May the Fourth Be With You" outdoors in their parking lot when the cosplaying got very real for a female employee dressed as a Stormtrooper. According to reports via "TMZ", someone in the area assumed that the teenage girl in the Stormtrooper suit was carrying a real weapon and called local law enforcement. Police quickly arrived with their guns aimed directly at the young woman, who immediately followed orders and dropped the toy gun.
Despite the person in question obeying orders, they were not able to get down on the ground fast enough for the police and they began to lose their cool. In the video, which you can see below, the woman was attempting to get on the ground but law enforcement used extra force (unfortunately not "The Force" we've all come to know and love from the films) to get her all the way down to the ground and the end result was a bloody nose during the ordeal because she claims the officers slammed her face on the pavement.
It's not clear why Alberta police reacted so strongly to the 19-year Stormtrooper, especially since she was complying with all of their orders. Law enforcement released the following statement about the matter:
"Upon police arrival, the subject dropped the weapon but did not initially comply with further police directions to get down on the ground. The weapon was ultimately confirmed to be a fake firearm and the female subject, who indicated she was an employee promoting a local business, was not charged. The female sustained a minor injury but did not require medical attention."
After viewing social media and video footage, an investigation has been launched to look into the police actions during the incident. It's also clear from the video that the Stormtrooper costume made it difficult for her to get down to the ground quickly due to how bulky the outfit is. This is a matter that seemed to be confirmed by her boss Bradley Whalen, who said: "She kept yelling at them that she couldn't kneel down because, in that Stormtrooper costume, you can't even sit down in it, like it's impossible to sit down. You could tell by looking at it, even 10 feet away, that it was a plastic toy."
Can you imagine being this girl? You wake up and get ready for work, most likely being told it's mandatory to dress in a STAR WARS costume for the day at the bar and you end up getting taken down by the cops? Sure, it's now a viral story but you also get a bloody nose so I guess you have to take the good with the bad on this one.
What are YOUR thoughts on the video?