Silver Lake -- It was billed as an afternoon of "Star Wars-themed fun" at the Silver Lake library with comic book giveaways, a light saber fight demonstration and professional costumed performers. Then the police showed up in full force.

Officers responded to a call shortly after noon from a motorist who said a person dressed as a Star Wars Stormtrooper was outside the library pointing a semi-automatic rifle at passersby, said LAPD spokesman David Marroquin.

Officers took the costumed person into custody while the Star Wars Reads event went on inside the library. Police then determined the Storm Trooper was carrying a prop.

One person went on Twitter to say that the Stormtrooper was being arrested at gunpoint. Another, writing on the app known as Citizen, said police officers were "having difficulty taking the man into custody due to the bulkiness of his Stormtrooper costume."

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Marroquin could not confirm those details.

"Police realized it was a toy gun," he said, "and everyone went their separate ways."

Was feeling good about living in #silverlake when I saw these guys helping out with #StarWars Reads day at our library. An hour later the place is swarming with #lapd because someone thought the gun was real. So sad. pic.twitter.com/EX9Aw6gnsP — Liz Brown (@TheLizBrownShow) October 12, 2019