CALGARY -- An outside agency will be tasked with investigating the actions of Lethbridge police officers involved in a firearms complaint that saw a woman dressed as a stormtrooper from Star Wars injured.
Police were called to the 500 block of 13th Avenue about 11 a.m. on May 4 for reports that someone in a stormtrooper costume was carrying a firearm. Police arrived and determined the gun to be a fake and the woman in costume to be an employee of a nearby Star Wars-themed bar.
The woman was not charged and suffered what police describe as a "minor injury" – a cut to her nose.
After watching video of the encounter posted to social media, Lethbridge police Chief Scott Woods notified the Alberta Director of Law Enforcement, which determined the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) should not be called to investigate as the matter was out of its scope.
ASIRT investigates whenever someone is seriously injured or killed while interacting with police.
Following that, Woods ordered a service investigation, which will be handled by an outside agency.
Members of the Medicine Hat Police Service took over the investigation on May 5.
Because the investigation is ongoing, Lethbridge police say they will not comment further.
The incident resulted a lot of furor online, including from William Shatner, who played Capt. Kirk on the original Star Trek series.
