PHOTOS: Arkansas police department makes most of 'Star Wars Day'

The Fayetteville Police Department posted this image of an officer wearing Princess Leia-style hair in honor of Star Wars Day.
The Fayetteville Police Department posted this image of an officer wearing Princess Leia-style hair in honor of Star Wars Day.

One Arkansas police force is really embracing The Force.

Wednesday is recognized as Star Wars Day because its date, May the 4th, sounds a lot like the sci-fi series' iconic tag line, "May The Force be with you."

In honor of the unofficial holiday, the Fayetteville Police Department spent the day posting Star Wars-themed photos on its Facebook page.

[GALLERY: Click here to see all of the department's Star Wars-themed posts]

In one, officer Kristin Mercado is shown with her hair in side buns similar to Princess Leia's famed look alongside a caption noting that police, too, have a "lighter, nerdy side."

Mercado, a five-year veteran of the agency, said someone made a comment months ago that she should use her long hair to recreate Leia's style. She promised to do so on May 4.

"It's good for our morale boost," said Mercado, who described herself as a "pretty big Star Wars fan."

She added, with a laugh, that the Star Wars focus was "a little bit of a shocker to some of the administration."

"To me, it just shows the community that we are human, we have fun, we have a sense of humor," Mercado said. "There are very negative things about our job we have to deal with sometimes. So having a little fun and showing people we're human can be a good thing."

Mercado mentioned her plan to a colleague, and the idea to post multiple photos mashing up daily police work with Star Wars motifs was developed.

In another photo posted later Wednesday morning, police Sgt. Anthony Murphy mimicked using Darth Vader's Force choke maneuver while other officers grasped at their throats. The caption: "Officers, I find your lack of faith disturbing – Sgt. Murphy."

Sgt. Craig Stout, spokesman for the agency, said officers enjoyed finding the photos as a way to connect with area residents over a shared love of the films. He said several other photos would be posted throughout the day, including one playing on the well-known Star Wars line about Luke Skywalker being "a little short for a stormtrooper." That one will feature an especially tall officer next to a shorter one, Stout said, while another photo will feature a construction site that looks like an Imperial vehicle.

The photos had received hundreds of responses on the agency Facebook page in just a few hours. Stout said even his dentist asked about them at a morning appointment.

"Everybody's loving it," Stout said. "We're tapping their inner nerd."

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