“Star Trek” star William Shatner has criticized Canadian police who drew their weapons on a woman wearing a Stormtrooper costume.
The woman was an employee of Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina and was dressed in a Stormtrooper costume, complete with a plastic blaster, to promote the restaurant on the movie’s holiday, according to a report published Monday by Lethbridge News Now.
Lethbridge Police Service Inspector Jason Walper said they received two 911 calls complaining of firearm activity near the business. Walper claimed the woman did not respond to verbal commands of police, but business owner Bradley Whalen told LNN that the employee immediately dropped the toy gun when told. (RELATED: ‘Star Wars’ Shares Inspirational Video To Celebrate May 4th Amid Coronavirus Pandemic)
“It wasn’t a matter of her not wanting to cooperate,” Whalen said. “She dropped the gun when they told her to and just forcing her, making her get down on the ground after they determined that she wasn’t a risk and that the gun wasn’t even a real gun, it was a plastic Star Wars blaster.”
Captain’s Log Stardate 49: Sending my contempt this morning to the @lethpolice of Alberta, Canada & @LPSChief1. Rifles drawn for a plastic toy Cosplayer? Didn’t comply right away? Are you blind Chief? Watch the video to see how quickly she complied. This cannot be covered up. ???? https://t.co/b5bmllyfMU
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) May 6, 2020
The “Star Trek” actor also added his criticism on Twitter asking the police chief if he was “blind.”
“Captain’s Log Stardate 49: Sending my contempt this morning to the @lethpolice of Alberta, Canada & @LPSChief1,” Shatner tweeted. “Rifles drawn for a plastic toy Cosplayer? Didn’t comply right away? Are you blind Chief? Watch the video to see how quickly she complied. This cannot be covered up.”
Lethbridge Police Service has launched an investigation into the incident.