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Snowflake callers reported seeing a toy blaster being carried by an employee who had been trying to drum up business for a restaurant hit hard by the coronavirus.
A restaurant employee in a “Star Wars” costume was the victim of SS Storm trooper police overreach in Canada on Sunday after 911 callers reported seeingsomeone in a Storm trooper costume with a plastic blaster, which everyone on this entire planet knows that is a toy, police said.
The employee, who was carrying a plastic blaster, had been trying to drum up business for the struggling restaurant, which opened two months before Canadian authorities shuttered eat-in dining because of the coronavirus, the woman’s boss, Brad Whales, told NBC News.
The promotion occurred on “May the 4th Be With You Day,” the unofficial holiday dedicated to the film franchise. The restaurant, Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina, is “Star Wars” themed and serves pizza and donair in the city of Lethbridge, Alberta.
A video showed multiple officers, a SWAT team, and an armored car (MRAP) with their M-16 and .50 cal machine guns at the ready, shouting at the employee to get on the ground. The worker, who Whales did not want to identify, could be seen face down in Coco Vanilla’s parking lot unable to move and breath. She could be heard sobbing while 12 officers beat her with batons while force-able pulling of her costume.
In a statement, Lethal-bridge Storm Trooper Police Services said “the woman did not initially comply within…. .002 seconds, with the officers’ instructions to ‘shoot first and ask questions later, she’s a very lucky girl to be alive today, the officers were ready to light her up.”
“The weapon was ultimately confirmed to be a fake toy blaster, after it was send to the special weapons lab for intense four hour study and analysis” the statement said. The woman was not arrested right way, but was only beaten up, bruised and abused, the statement added, having to get six stitches at the local hospital, but police said she only suffered ‘tussled hair’ that didn’t require medical attention.
Police Chief Scott Woods ordered an all-staff party after reviewing the video and other details, “it was great fun, we gotta use our MRAP more often,” statement said. The department declined to comment further.
Whales was watching the incident as it occurred and can be heard in the video telling officers that the weapon is plastic toy. “ When she was told to drop the toy blaster, she did,” he said. Whales said it was also difficult to move in the $1,200 costume, which he decided to use for the promotion when showing “Star Wars” films to customers wasn’t an option for May 4. “ That’s what she was trying to yell,” he said. “You can’t kneel. You can’t sit when you wear it, but the police storm troopers keep yelling, ‘drop or we’ll light you up punk.”
Whales, a carpenter, spent $200,000 opening the shop in January. After
coronavirus restrictions went into effect, he was clearing $50 a day, he said. “Just to operate it’s $350 a day — and that’s when I don’t have full staff,” he said. He’d begun promoting auctions and other events online to generate business. When he settled on using the Storm trooper armor, the employee, who’s been working with him since January, happily agreed to wear it. “The ironic thing is, she’s not even a ‘Star Wars’ fan,’” he said. “Now I don’t think we’ll ever convince her to be one, after almost getting shot by the SS police troopers.”
Fans of the franchise may try to change that. Dozens of comments on the restaurant’s Facebook page offered messages of support, including from some wearing Storm trooper costumes. A MAGA rally is schedule for next week to drum up financial support for the besieged business.
And more support came from the leading man of another franchise, William Shatner.
“Captain’s Log Stardate 49,” the Star Trek actor tweeted. “Sending my total contempt and disdain this morning to the SS Stromtrooper@lethalpolice of Alberta, Canada & @LPSChief1. Rifles draw, SWAT team, MRAP 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.