Lethbridge officers cleared of wrongdoing in `stormtrooper' incident
An investigation has cleared Lethbridge officers of wrongdoing in the takedown of a teen dressed as a Star Wars stormtrooper last year.
Police were called to the Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina, a Star Wars-themed restaurant in Lethbridge, on May 4, 2020. The owner of the restaurant had asked a 19-year-old female staff member to dress up in the stormtrooper costume, which included a toy gun, and march around outside to attract customers. The date of the incident is known as Star Wars Day, a play on words of the saying from the popular movie franchise, “May the force be with you.”
The incident gained international attention after social media posts showed images of officers with their guns drawn and the costumed teen on her knees.
In a news release, the Lethbridge Police Service says it is done reviewing an investigation into the actions of three officers conducted by the neighbouring Medicine Hat Police Service.
That 250-page report was completed in December 2020 and found no grounds for criminal charges, but the Lethbridge Police Service conducted its own internal professional misconduct investigation following its submission.
Lethbridge police Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh said just as there were no grounds for criminal charges, there is no evidence of professional misconduct.
He noted there were two separate 911 calls from citizens about the gun, and the teen was alone in the parking lot when they arrived.
Mehdizadeh said the officers' actions were consistent with use-offorce policies and the protocol for calls involving potential firearms. Two of the three officers drew their weapons, but at no time did they point them at the teen.
He also noted that the costumed teen was released within five minutes of officers arriving on the scene.
In a news release, Mehdizadeh said the incident was stressful for both the young woman in the suit and the officers, who thought they were responding to a potentially lethal weapon.
“The officers were lawfully placed in response to a 911 call and they handled the threat to which they were dispatched in a measured and prudent way, especially considering that they had a credible basis for very real concerns that the person was holding a firearm in a very public area,” said the chief.
“They assessed the threat as best they could while trying to immediately prevent any potential shooting at them or others. They took it seriously, they followed LPS policy and training, and they brought resolution expeditiously, with no more force than was absolutely necessary.”
Mehdizadeh's disposition of the Medicine Hat Police Service's investigation will be forwarded to the provincial director of law enforcement.