A man who performed in Times Square as Chewbacca and was arrested last year after an altercation with a tourist is suing the city for false arrest, and is asking for $1 million in damages.
The Post reports that Robert Williams, who was arrested in February last year after an argument with a 71-year-old tourist, claims that his "reputation and character" have been damaged following the arrest. He also denies any wrongdoing in the alleged shakedown that led to his arrest.
Williams's lawsuit stems from an incident in which he and another man dressed as a stormtrooper took a picture with a 71-year-old Swedish tourist. After posing for the picture, the tourist offered the pair five dollars, and the two costumed characters allegedly wouldn't let him leave until he paid them ten dollars each. Williams and the stormtrooper were each arrested and charged with aggressive panhandling and harassment. Incidents like these and other altercations between tourists and costumed characters led the city to create "Designated Activity Zones" that restricted where people could ask tourists to pose for photos with them.
