The childlike joy of America's Free Comic Book Day became a violent drama of assault and police firing taser guns when two costumed characters were attacked by a 300-pound drunken monster outside a comics shop in Portland, Maine, on Saturday.
A ghostbuster and a Star Wars stromtrooper were outside Portland's Coast City Comics during Saturday's nationwide Free Comic Book Day promotion when the massive 6'4" street lunatic assaulted the costumed heroes.
Both men were captured on video dancing on the street shortly before the attack:
Bobby Daggett, dressed as the Green Lantern, gave this harrowing eyewitness report to the Bangor Daily News:
“There were a bunch of people standing outside trying to drum up business and one guy was dressed as a Stormtrooper,” said Daggett. “Out of nowhere this guy tried to put [the guy in the Stormtrooper costume] in a chokehold from behind and then throws him to the ground. He was trying to be intimidating above him and screamed obscenities to everybody.”
The alleged assailant, 31-year-old Adam Barnes, was then confronted by five police officers. He reportedly tried to take them all on, like The Hulk, but the cops tasered him to the pavement.
Police Lt. Gary Hutcheson says Barnes was charged with assault, disorderly conduct and five charges of threatening the five police officers who took him down.
“I’ve been a cop for 23 years," Lt. Hutcheson said. "I’ve never heard of a Ghostbuster and a Stormtrooper getting assaulted."
[Video via Comic Geeks Unite; Mug shot via Portland Police Department; top image by Jim Cooke.]