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The employee dressed in the Star Wars stormtrooper costumer at Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina. (Supplied by Bradley Whalen)

No criminal charges warranted in “Storm Trooper” incident

Dec 23, 2020 | 4:15 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. – The findings of an external review into Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) actions involving the Star Wars Day promotion at Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina have been turned over to LPS.

The investigation by Medicine Hat Police Service, which included a review by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) and the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, has determined criminal charges are not warranted.

Under the Police Act and Police Service Regulation, a professional misconduct investigation will now proceed.

As the matter is still under investigation, the Lethbridge Police Service will offer no further comments at this time.

On May 4, 2020, LPS officers responded to two 911 calls reporting a person in a Storm Trooper costume carrying a firearm along the 500 block of 13 Street North.

The weapon was ultimately confirmed to be a fake firearm and the female subject, who indicated she was an employee promoting a local business, was not charged. The female sustained a minor injury.