UPDATE! Police Chief Calls for Investigation Into Abuse of Stormtrooper

Previously, we reported on a story that detailed how residents of a small town in Canada had called police because they saw a waitress carrying a weapon. The problem was that the weapon was a blaster rifle prop, part of the stormtrooper outfit she was wearing during “May the 4th”. The waitress was arrested by police, but not before she was injured during the altercation.

Now, Lethbridge’s chief of police is calling for an investigation into the actions of responding officers after video of an arrest outside a Star Wars-themed restaurant on May 4 surfaced online. Brad Whalen, owner of the restaurant, suspects the stormtrooper helmet restricted Ashley’s ability to hear the officers and he believes police should have been able to piece together the situation.

“Sometimes you really have to use common sense,” said Whalen. “When all the things fit in the box — you’ve got the signs, you’ve got the music, the atmosphere.

“A duck is a duck when it’s walking like a duck.”

“Although I do understand the linkage to Star Wars, it’s certainly not a day where our officers are expecting to have to respond to a firearms complaint.” As of Tuesday afternoon, the worker was not facing any charges in connection to the incident but police say the investigation into the matter is ongoing.

LPS Chief Scott Woods initiated an investigation under the Alberta Police Act to determine whether the responding officers “acted appropriated within the scope of their training and LPS policies and procedures.”

Geek News Now has spoken to Brad about how Ashley is doing.

 “Ashley is doing ok getting better each day. There was no serious physical harm. Just an extreme amount of emotional trauma.”

Read more here, but we will publish any updates as they happen.