Force falls to the Dark Side in Star Wars post

  • 07/10/2016
"It's funny because he's actually defending the dark side and harassing a minority," one person wrote (NSW Police / Facebook)
"It's funny because he's actually defending the dark side and harassing a minority," one person wrote (NSW Police / Facebook)

Australia's police force made a wookie error in a post claiming they're helping keep the galaxy safe.

A Star Wars-inspired photo posted on social media shows a uniformed NSW officer, backed up by stormtroopers, arresting a Jawa, initially with the caption: "Keeping you safe from the dark side of the force."

The joke has received a luke-warm reception for saying Alderaan things.

One of its big flaws was highlighted very eloquently in the photo's comments: "The storm troopers are the bad guys you *******."

But it gets worse.

Jawas were a peaceful species indigenous to Tatooine, where both Anakin and Luke Skywalker were born.

Australian police have already been under fire this year for their treatment of Indigenous individuals, in particular a youth detention centre facing allegations of guards abusing teenagers.

It probably wasn't the best comparison to draw.

"It's natives who live in a desert being arrested by colonists who think they own it," one person commented. "Nothing similar to real life at all."

"This is completely inappropriate and disgusting. You are pictured arresting an indigenous character while the dark stormtrooper army looks on," another commenter wrote.

"Have you no awareness of the current acts of police violence enacted toward Australian indigenous people?"

The NSW Police Force have since changed their Facebook caption to read: "Keeping NSW & the galaxy safe. This little guy was arrested for selling stolen goods."

It's not enough to soothe the Facebook commenters, who question whether the force ever actually watched a Star Wars film.

"It's funny because he's actually defending the dark side and harassing a minority," one person wrote.

Newshub.