(WHDH) — A police department’s “Star Wars” meme depicting two officers wearing Imperial Stormtrooper helmets is drawing mixed reaction on social media.
In celebration of “May the Fourth,” the Bismarck Police Department shared the meme on Facebook showing the officers dressed as the bad guys in the movie franchise with nightsticks in hand.
Stormtroopers are associated with the evilness of the Dark Side and work under the command of the infamous villain, Darth Vader, but the police department said the post was “all in fun, with no dark or hidden meaning,” The Bismarck Tribune reported.
The post racked up hundreds of shares and comments, including one Facebook user who wrote, “Awkward meme considering what is happening with police in our country. Police should not be seen as a military force. Bad choice guys.” Another user questioned, “Have you researched which side the Storm Troopers are on?”
Others poked fun at the post, with one person commenting, “Don’t worry, they’re Stormtroopers, they can’t hit anything with their batons even if they wanted to.”
A user who enjoyed the humor of the post told the department to “ignore the ones that have no sense of humor or joy.”
Officer Lynn Wanner, the department’s social media manager, told the news outlet that he “posted that same one in the past and not a word.” He added that the department doesn’t remove posts from its page.
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